Former UW medical residents sue program intended to help struggling physicians

April 28, 2026 / 4:00 pm

Two former University of Washington medical residents say the Washington Physicians Health Program, or WPHP, was supposed to help them – but did the opposite. Instead, they say the program hurt their financial and mental health and set their careers back.

"Doctors in WPHP’s program find it difficult ever to exit," a lawsuit filed in King County in February alleges. "Far from a place that helps doctors get better, WPHP has become a place that ruins lives and derails careers."

Dr. Dorender Gray and Dr. Temi Ogunleye brought the suit, which seeks to represent a class of people who participated in WPHP from 2015 to present.

Ogunleye was a resident at Harborview Medical Center, and Gray was at UW’s obstetrics-gynecology program. They struggled with job performance and mental health issues, and their supervisors referred them to the physicians health program. But both doctors say they were required to complete improper treatment to return to work.

"They each were made to undergo psychological testing at one of WPHP’s 'preferred providers,'" according to the lawsuit. "Both of the 'preferred providers' concluded that Plaintiffs suffered from significant mental deficits. Each report, however, was riddled with basic errors."

WPHP is a nonprofit organization and a contractor of the Washington State Department of Health. The lawsuit does not name University of Washington as a plaintiff, and a spokesperson for UW said they “are unable to comment on it.”

The plaintiffs allege they were misdiagnosed and actually received a medical report that belonged to another patient entirely, but WPHP would not clear them to return to work, according to the lawsuit.

Neither plaintiff currently practices medicine in Washington state.

The Washington Physicians Health Program is asking the court to throw out the lawsuit.

State law says programs like WPHP, known as "physician health and voluntary substance use disorder monitoring programs," are "immune from civil liability" and cannot be sued. (They can be criminally charged, though.)

Physician health programs are intended to help medical professionals with issues such as substance use or a mental or physical health condition that could compromise patient safety.

In a statement, WPHP said, "While we cannot comment on the specifics of active litigation, we believe the claims are without merit and are responding vigorously through the appropriate legal process. At the same time, we recognize that situations involving a physician’s health, training, or ability to practice can be deeply difficult and life-altering. We have compassion for those navigating these challenges, including the individuals referenced in the complaint, as well as for the impact on their families and colleagues."