Blind Eye

Blind Eye investigates the case of Dr. Michael Swango, a physician who moved between hospitals leaving a trail of suspicious patient deaths in his wake. The book tracks his career path through multiple medical institutions across the United States and abroad during the 1980s and 1990s. Author James B. Stewart combines extensive research, interviews, and documentation to reconstruct how Swango maintained his medical career despite mounting evidence of misconduct. The narrative examines the systemic failures within hospital administration and medical oversight that allowed a potentially dangerous doctor to continue practicing. Law enforcement investigations, hospital hiring practices, and medical culture intersect as the story moves from Illinois to South Dakota to New York and beyond. Stewart's background in investigative journalism provides access to key sources including police records, hospital documents, and firsthand accounts from colleagues who worked alongside Swango. This true crime account raises questions about trust, institutional accountability, and the complex balance between presumption of innocence and public safety. The examination of medical institutions' responses to suspected wrongdoing remains relevant to current discussions of professional oversight and patient protection.

Readers found this true-crime investigation of Dr. Michael Swango to be meticulously researched and documented. Many noted the book reads like a thriller while maintaining journalistic rigor through extensive sourcing and interviews. Positive reviews focused on: - Clear chronological structure that follows the investigation - Details about hospital bureaucracy and systemic failures - Stewart's careful handling of sensitive subject matter Common criticisms: - Middle section becomes repetitive - Too much focus on administrative/procedural details - Some readers wanted more psychological analysis of Swango Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (190+ reviews) "The level of research is staggering," noted one Amazon reviewer. "Shows how institutions protected themselves rather than patients," wrote another. Multiple readers mentioned feeling frustrated by the hospitals' repeated failures to stop Swango. A Goodreads review criticized the "dry sections about credential verification processes."

The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber This true-crime investigation follows nurse Charles Cullen who killed hundreds of patients across multiple hospitals while administrators turned a blind eye to suspicious deaths.

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink A detailed account of the decisions made by medical professionals at Memorial Medical Center during Hurricane Katrina reveals how institutional failures led to patient deaths.

Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson The parallel narratives of a serial killer and London's Great Smog of 1952 examine how both institutional negligence and individual malice caused mass casualties.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou The investigation into Theranos exposes how Elizabeth Holmes deceived medical professionals, investors, and patients with false promises of revolutionary blood-testing technology.

The Death of Innocents by Richard Firstman The story of a mother who murdered her five children while medical professionals repeatedly missed the signs demonstrates systemic failures in both healthcare and law enforcement.

🔍 Dr. Michael Swango, the subject of Blind Eye, is believed to have killed up to 60 people during his medical career, making him one of the most prolific medical serial killers in U.S. history. 📚 Author James B. Stewart won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for his Wall Street Journal coverage of the 1987 stock market crash and insider trading scandals. ⚕️ The book exposed serious flaws in the medical credentialing system, leading to reforms in how hospitals screen and verify the backgrounds of medical personnel. 🏥 Despite being convicted of poisoning coworkers in Illinois in 1985, Swango was able to continue practicing medicine in different states and even in Zimbabwe due to inadequate background checks. 💉 Swango kept detailed journals of his crimes and was fascinated by disaster stories, earning him the nickname "Double-O Swango" among his colleagues, referring to James Bond's "license to kill."