Industries where lives are at stake — such as aviation, trucking, and nuclear power — are subject to strict regulations, mandatory safety standards and federal oversight. These measures exist to prevent catastrophic failures and ensure public safety.
Yet, despite healthcare being responsible for over 250,000 preventable deaths per year, hospitals and doctors face shockingly little oversight. Unlike other high-risk industries, there is no independent investigative body ensuring accountability in medical care.
With figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz gaining influence, the country stands at a crossroads. Will we see further deregulation that exacerbates the crisis of patient safety or a long-overdue push for real accountability?
A System Designed to Protect Institutions, Not Patients
The federal government does not require hospitals to report most preventable medical errors, even those resulting in catastrophic harm or death. There is no equivalent of an NTSB for hospital safety failures — no independent entity investigating errors, issuing reports and mandating reforms.
Hospitals and Medical Boards Routinely Ignore Safety Laws
One glaring failure of hospital oversight is the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), a federal database tracking doctors with histories of negligence or misconduct. Although hospitals are legally required to report doctors disciplined for serious errors, many simply don’t.
Instead, dangerous doctors are often allowed to quietly resign rather than face disciplinary action — without ever being reported to the NPDB. These doctors then move to other hospitals, where they continue to harm patients.
State medical boards are similarly ineffective. The Texas Medical Board (TMB), for example, rarely revokes licenses, even when doctors have multiple malpractice claims or clear patterns of negligence.
With such weak oversight, the question becomes: Will RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz push for real accountability or will they make the problem worse?
RFK Jr.’s Distrust of Government Oversight — A Double-Edged Sword
RFK Jr. has been outspoken about reducing the power of regulatory bodies like the FDA and CDC, which he claims are too entangled with corporate interests. Less regulation of hospitals would be disastrous for patients.
However, he also has a history of taking on corporations over pollution and public safety violations. If he views hospitals in the same light as reckless corporations, he could become an unexpected advocate for transparency and accountability in healthcare.
Dr. Oz: A Surgeon Who Understands Accountability — But Will He Act?
While once a respected surgeon, Dr. Oz tarnished his reputation by later promoting unproven treatments on his television show. However, Oz also has a deep understanding of hospital accountability. As a cardiothoracic surgeon, he knows how crucial strict credentialing, peer review, and quality control are to patient safety.
If he leans into his experience as a surgeon, he could be a powerful voice for hospital accountability. The question is: Will he push hospitals to meet their responsibilities or will he align with policies that weaken oversight?
The Real Solution: Treat Healthcare Like Any Other High-Risk Industry
Regardless of whether RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz fight for or against accountability, the solution remains clear: healthcare must be regulated as rigorously as other life-or-death industries.
Mandatory public reporting of medical errors should be required, just as aviation accident reports are made public. Hospitals that fail to report negligent doctors should face federal penalties. A national safety board — similar to the NTSB — should be established to investigate catastrophic medical errors and enforce safety improvements.
A Crossroads for Patient Safety
The threat of further deregulation could make an already broken system worse. If RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz weaken oversight, hospitals will have even more freedom to prioritize profits over patients, while legal recourse for victims of medical negligence continues to shrink.
However, both figures have the potential to drive reform. RFK Jr.’s history of holding corporations accountable could lead to greater transparency in hospitals — if he chooses to apply his principles to healthcare institutions. Dr. Oz’s firsthand knowledge of hospital accountability could make him a strong advocate for better credentialing, peer review, and NPDB enforcement—if he resists deregulation pressures.
The future of patient safety depends on whether we recognize that healthcare must be regulated just as aggressively as any other industry where lives are at stake.
Right now, we are at a crossroads.
