Surgeon questions allocation of livers at Chicago hospitals

His protests led to a demotion and 66% pay cut, but the whistle-blower said reform was worth it.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. Aug. 18, 2003.

In February 1999, University of Illinois at Chicago transplant surgeon Dr. Raymond Pollak filed a federal lawsuit against the U of I board of trustees and the University of Chicago alleging misconduct in their liver transplant programs. In April 2001, Northwestern University was added.

Dr. Pollak, a graduate of South Africa's University of Witwatersrand, has been with the U of I since 1977. He had used more traditional methods to protest what he thought was improper hospitalization of patients to move them up on the transplant list. He was demoted from directing the university's multiorgan transplant program and took a two-thirds cut in salary.

The suit was sealed and it wasn't until late last month that details were finally revealed. The U.S. Dept. of Justice is still seeking more than $3 million from the University of Illinois Hospital, but University of Chicago Hospitals and Northwestern Memorial Hospital settled their suits, paying $115,000 and $23,588 respectively, but not admitting any wrongdoing.

The U of I said in a statement: "Our physicians acted at all times with the utmost concern for the welfare of patients very ill with liver disease. We have cooperated over a number of years with the federal government in response to requests for information about our liver transplant program. We are continuing discussion with the government about our program. Since the matter is in litigation, we cannot comment further."

Up until last month, Dr. Pollak -- now a professor of surgery and director of the abdominal organ transplant program at the university's Peoria campus -- wasn't allowed to talk about the government probe.