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The following article appeared in the Orange County Register. MEDICINE: Surgeon Described by Some as Difficult Quits Weeks After Being Removed as Department Head, Citing Eye Disease Interferes with Job By MICHELLE NICOLOSI The Orange County Register April 11, 1996 Weeks after being removed as chairman of UCI Medical Center's neurosurgery department, Dr. Michael Dogali has resigned from his $750,000-a-year job saying he suffers from an eye disease that "limits my abilities as a surgeon." Dogali's contract expires Oct. 31, and the university has agreed to pay the remainder of his annual salary of $418,400. Dogali signed his resignation papers Tuesday, and the deal was finalized Wednesday after consultation with University of California regents and attorneys, according to a UCI news release. Dogali, 51, has been on administrative leave since Feb. 26 -- the day he was removed from his job as chairman -- and could nut be reached far comment. Dr. Thomas Cesario, dean of the medical school, said Dogali had done fewer surgeries than expected, and that his reassignment would allow him to do more. Dogali had done just 94 surgeries since he began working at the medical center Nov. 1, 1994, said spokeswoman Carolyn Carter. "I think we thought things would move along faster," stated Cesario, who said he hired Dogali with the hope that his expertise in a surgery -- called pallidotomy -- for Parkinson's patients would draw clients to the center from across the county. "When we make recruitments, we hope we are going to be paid a dividend.... In that sense, I think things have moved more slowly than we would have hoped." Dogali has done just 24 pallidotomies in 17 months, Carter said. Dr. Robert P. Iacono at Loma Linda University Medical Center does 156 pallidotomies a year. Dogali came to UCI from New York's Hospital for Joint Diseases, where he headed a department in which he was the only full-time surgeon, said Reuven Savitz, former co-chief executive officer and executive vice president. Dogali's new job as department chairman at UCI put him in charge of 21 people Carter said. Savitz, Dogali's former supervisor, said Dogali was "difficult... He was not a person who looked for a diplomatic compromise to issues." When Dogali announced that he would seek work elsewhere. "I did nor dissuade him," Savitz said. Since Dogali's arrival at UCI, two of the four neurosurgeons that worked in the department have left. They would not comment. A third, Dr. Peter Weber, announced recently that he is leaving. He could not be reached. Union representative Cynthia Hanna said she filed an unfair labor practice complaint on behalf of seven of Dogali's employees with the public Employees Relations Board on Feb. 25 -- the day before Dogali was removed as chairman -- saying Dogali threatened, abused and mistreated them, Hanna said. The university's affirmative-action office is investigating the complaints. Cesario said he "won't deny" that personality differences may have played a part in some of the turnover but added, "When you bring in a new person, there often is turnover." Cascara said he did not speak to Savitz before hiring Dogali. He said he spoke to more than 15 doctors and heard Dogali was an excellent physician capable of starting up a good program. Some said Dogali "had some difficulties" because he had very high standards and could be demanding in his effort to meet them. Dogali's candidacy for chairman "was supported by (former medical-center Director) Mary Piccione and Tom Cesario," said Dr. Kenneth Waxman, who served on the candidate search committee and has left the center. "I think they thought he would bring a large number of patients," he said. Dogali was hired to replace neurosurgeon Dr. Ronald Young, "one of the busiest surgeons the university had ever had." Cesario said. At the time, the medical center was losing income on all fronts: Government grants had been cut and managed care was eating into profits, Cesario said. Young's replacement needed to be both a top money earner and an excellent surgeon, Cesario said. "We have to maintain an economically viable operation," said Cesario. "Neurosurgery helped to ensure our viability." Waxman agreed "there needs to be a financial focus, but it can't be the only one. In Dogali's case, it deteriorated to that." END Commentary: To my knowledge, Dr. Dogali has been active with the pallidotomy longer than anyone in the US. He was one of the first to be trained by Dr. Lauri Laitinen of Sweden. He was instramental in modifing the procedure such that the chances of having visual problems almost disapeared. He is also well published with many articles on the pallidotomy with co-author of Dr. Frazzini of New York. On the negative side, Dr. Dogali went before the Blue Cross / Blue Shield technical advisiory board of CA and stated that the pallidotomy was investigational at best. It should not be covered by Medicare. Dogali then required patients to have a check for $10,000 made out to Dogali for his services during a pallidotomy. He also asked that the patient have a check for $2500 to cover a PET scan that was not covered by insurance. I believe there was another check required also. Billing of insurance was acceptable for other charges. I did hear there were some irregularities in the billing of Medicare. Where he has gone, I do not know. I am sure he will surface somewhere. He is an excellent neurosurgeon. There are other problems. I would expect his eyesight will be corrected by then. Regards, Alan Bonander