Two physicians have filed a lawsuit against the Washington Physicians Health Program, alleging the program designed to support medical professionals’ mental health instead subjected them to unnecessary tests, misdiagnoses, and career-ending consequences.
Dr. Dorendee Gray and Dr. Temi Ogunleye, both former residents at UW Medicine, filed the complaint in King County Superior Court, challenging a program created in 1986 to provide confidential support for health professionals facing substance-use disorders or other issues affecting their ability to practice medicine. According to the lawsuit, the program has “become a prison for doctors who get caught in its clutches.”
Ogunleye was referred to the program after oversleeping and arriving late to work a few times during his second year of orthopedic residency. Despite having no previous concerns about substance use, he was ordered to undergo drug and alcohol testing and a three-day neurological exam. He discovered multiple errors in the results—including his wrong date of birth, age, and hand dominance—along with a diagnosis he believed was incorrect. When he pointed out the inaccuracies, a program provider “doubled down” and ordered an MRI scan, which his insurer did not cover. The MRI results came back clean, but the Washington Physicians Health Program still would not clear him to return to work. After eight months on leave, a second opinion from another program-affiliated provider found the previous results incorrect and determined he was fit to work. He returned to his residency in February 2024, but ultimately left the program a few months later, citing lost trust in the system.
Gray entered the program in spring 2024 after requesting a break from her OB-GYN residency. Though she had no history of substance abuse, she was ordered to take a drug test. When the test flagged her ADHD medication, the program questioned her ADHD diagnosis. She underwent multiple virtual cognitive evaluations, a lengthy neuropsychological test, and was ultimately told she had an “unspecified neurocognitive disorder.” When she received her test results, she found them riddled with errors, including a false reference to trauma from her brother’s suicide attempt. Despite bringing these inaccuracies to the program, providers dismissed it as a “copy/paste error” and maintained their recommendation. A second neuropsychologist concluded the program had made several mistakes leading to a misdiagnosis. After being cleared to return, the Washington Physicians Health Program charged Gray a $350 fee for a “clearance letter.” When she delayed payment to focus on clinic work, her program director suspended her, and she was terminated from her residency in February 2025.
Gray appealed the termination, and an internal UW review committee unanimously ruled her dismissal “arbitrary and capricious.” However, the dean upheld the decision. Last week, King County Superior Court Judge Haydee Vargas granted the Washington Physicians Health Program’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit based on a 1986 state law that shields such programs from civil suits. The decision raises questions about oversight and accountability for the organization. The program stated the claims are “without merit” and that nearly half of WPHP graduates describe the program as “lifesaving.” The lawsuit has drawn additional scrutiny following the suicide of another UW Medicine resident whose family confirmed was enrolled in the program. Gray and Ogunleye are working with their lawyers to consider an appeal.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/jun/05/lawsuit-uw-program-meant-to-help-doctors-is-harmful/