About
Both sides of the bed.
I am a physician and a Board Certified Patient Advocate. I have led the team in the operating room, and I have been the patient waiting on answers. White Coat Advocate exists because of what the second taught me about the first.
William Dugal, MD, MS, BCPA
Founder & Physician Advocate
The Physician Founder
“I wish I had a doctor in the family.”
That is the role I set out to fill.
White Coat Advocate grew from two kinds of experience: years spent caring for patients as a surgeon and my own recovery from a life-threatening illness. I have seen how quickly serious illness can overwhelm even capable patients and families.
As a physician, I understand how clinicians interpret records, weigh risk, and make decisions within the limits of a complex healthcare system. As a patient, I learned how difficult it is to absorb that information while frightened, exhausted, and uncertain about what comes next.
I created this practice to bring those perspectives together. My role is to translate the medicine, prepare you for important conversations, coordinate the broader plan, and help you participate fully in decisions with your treating team.
Whether you are facing a new diagnosis, recovering from major surgery, planning for rehabilitation, or navigating long-term care, my goal is simple: to help you feel informed, supported, and confident every step of the way.
When the stakes are high, you should not have to navigate the healthcare system alone.
Two Vantage Points
Trained to lead the team. Taught by being the patient.
The Surgeon
General surgery residency, an ECMO fellowship, and advanced fellowship training in complex surgical care at an academic medical center. Thousands of patients, and the conversations that come with them.
The Patient
A tracheostomy, a wheelchair, and a long stretch of being the person waiting on answers instead of delivering them. It taught me what patients and families actually need — and how rarely anyone is there to provide it.
The Road Back
Recovery is where I learned what advocacy is actually for.
Recovery involved far more than rehabilitation appointments. It meant navigating insurance, coordinating each next step, and living with fear, uncertainty, doubt, and a sudden loss of independence. That experience showed me what my own patients had been telling me for years: the hardest part of illness is not knowing whom to ask, what to ask, or whether anyone is seeing the whole picture. White Coat Advocate was built to provide that clarity, continuity, and support.
Training & Credentials
The background behind the advocacy.
Advocacy is only as good as the clinical judgment behind it. Here is the training that informs every record I read and every conversation I prepare you for.
Education
- Doctor of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine
- Master of Science in Finance, Southern Methodist University
- Bachelor of Science in Biology, Southern Methodist University
Postgraduate Training
- General Surgery Internship, UF Health Shands
- General Surgery Residency, Memorial Health University Medical Center
- Fellowship in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
- Fellowship in Mastery in General Surgery, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Certification
- Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA)
Scope of Practice
White Coat Advocate is not a medical practice and does not replace your treating physicians. We do not diagnose, prescribe, order tests, or provide emergency medical services. We provide physician-led advocacy, education, care coordination, and support so patients and families can better understand and navigate the care they are already receiving.
The Next Step
You do not have to navigate this alone.
The first conversation is complimentary and does not commit you to anything. It simply puts a physician's judgment where it belongs: on your side.