The University of Miami announced Monday it was bringing Dr. Don Williams, which it described as ''one of South Florida's top heart surgeons,'' and two partners to its new hospital.

The three had been at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where Williams had worked for 19 years, many of them as chairman of the department of surgery.

Williams, a longtime fixture on Miami Beach, wrote a letter some weeks ago complaining that Sinai Chief Executive Steven Sonenreich was considered by colleagues to be ``ruthless, despicable, insensitive, uncaring and disrespectful. . . .''

''One must wonder what power the CEO holds over the board of trustees. The hospital continues to lose millions of dollars. Its image is horribly tarnished,'' Williams wrote to the chairman of Sinai's board of trustees.

Williams told The Miami Herald on Friday, however, that he was moving to the University of Miami Hospital, because he was ''excited about the opportunity'' that UM offered and had nothing against the Sinai employees he had worked with for many years.

Williams will become a professor at the UM medical school and his clinical practice will be based at the university's hospital.

Joining him are Roger G. Carrillo, an expert in surgical electrophysiology who was at Mount Sinai for 15 years, and Andres Medina, a cardiothoracic surgeon who emphasizes minimally invasive approaches who was at Sinai for two years.

William O'Neill, UM's executive dean for clinical affairs, said the medical school is ``excited and pleased to welcome the most recognized and experienced cardiothoracic surgery practice in South Florida to the University of Miami Hospital.''

O'Neill, an interventional cardiologist, said bringing the three surgeons onto the faculty ``will be a major pillar in a growing and superior cardiac center. Their expertise, in addition to the other great talent we have assembled, will quickly place the cardiac program at University of Miami Hospital among the nation's top-tier programs.''

Williams' specialties include coronary bypass, valve repair and aortic surgery. He has published several studies in such journals as the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

The three physicians are bringing much of their support staff when they begin their new practices on Sept. 15, UM said in a news release.

Sonenreich has told The Miami Herald that Mount Sinai is searching for senior cardiac surgeons to replace Williams and his team. In an interview earlier this month, he described Williams as ``a great cardiac surgeon -- arguably the best at cardiac surgery in this entire county.''

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