Episode #41
When Healers Become Killers: Inside the Investigation with Bruce Sackman
Send us Fan Mail What happens when the person trusted to heal the patient… is the person harming them? This week on Credentialing Chronicles , Shannen Aguayo-Reyes and Nyleen Flores sit down with Bruce Sackman , renowned healthcare fraud investigator, author, and former Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. For more than three decades, Bruce stepped into healthcare environments after something had gone terribly wrong—investigating fraud, corruption, false claims, theft, patient assault, drug diversion, suspicious hospital deaths, and some of the most disturbing cases involving medical professionals. But this conversation isn't just about the cases. It's about the warning signs before the investigation ever begins. Bruce takes us behind the investigation: what his instincts noticed before the evidence caught up, the case that permanently changed the way he viewed healthcare, the responsibility investigators carry long after a case closes, and what the public may never fully understand about investigating someone entrusted with patients' lives. And we ask the question healthcare can't afford to ignore: Have we actually gotten better at recognizing dangerous providers—or have technology, fragmented systems, staffing pressures, and endless box-checking simply created new places for the warning signs to hide? This is more than true crime. It's healthcare. It's patient safety. And it's a conversation every medical staff professional, healthcare leader, provider—and patient—needs to hear. ️ Credentialing Chronicles Stay credentialed, not cancelled. Credential Network CredNet is the AI-native credentialing and payer enrollment platform built for credentialing service Baton Health: Universal PSV in Seconds Eliminate credentialing delays! Get 100% accurate, real-time license verification and monitoring. HST Pathways One Complete Solution for Your Surgery Center’s Success From scheduling to billing, manage your ent Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Resources Mentioned: Verify Your Doctor’s Credentials ✔️ State-Specific Medical Board License Lookup: Find your state’s board here: https://www.fsmb.org/contact-a-state-medical-board/ ✔️ Medicare Exclusions List (LEIE) – Check if your provider is federally excluded: https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/exclusions_list.asp ✔️ Set Google Alerts on Your Doctor’s Name: Create your own Google Alert here: https://www.google.com/alerts For Medical Staff Professional: ✔️ FSMB.org – Federation of State Medical Boards Physician Lookup: https://www.fsmb.org/physician-license-lookup/ ✔️ Hospital Websites: Many hospitals have public directories listing credentialed medical staff. Look for a “Find a Doctor” or “Medical Staff Directory” page. ✔️ Set Google Alerts on Your Doctor’s Name: Create your own Google Alert here: https://www.google.com/alerts Wanna know if your plastic surgeon is actually board certified? Check for yourself right here: Verify a Plastic Surgeon Open Payments openpaymentsdata.cms.gov Verify your Nurses' Credentials: https://www.nursys.com/ Connection Zone Stay plugged in with your peers, share resources, and nev...
