Douglas Zelisko
Introduction
Douglas Zelisko is a former West Hartford, Connecticut psychiatrist whose medical license was revoked by a Connecticut Medical Examining Board disciplinary panel, then hit with a $150,000 fine — the maximum allowed under state law — over allegations that he abandoned patients, wrote fraudulent prescriptions, and billed for visits that never happened. The penalty, imposed on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, followed the panel’s revocation decision the previous month, and came even as West Hartford police keep an active case open and he could still face criminal charges.
Background Information
He earned his undergraduate degree from Amherst College, completed medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine, and finished his psychiatry residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, according to Headway, a provider directory tracking clinician credentials. Zelisko ran a private psychiatric office in West Hartford while drawing a substantial state paycheck: between 2020 and 2025 he earned more than $1.6 million as a per-diem psychiatrist at Connecticut Valley Hospital through the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, including $483,575 in 2024 alone, Inside Investigator reported.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Administrative finding, criminal probe pending. The findings are the conclusions of a Connecticut Medical Examining Board disciplinary panel, not a criminal adjudication: Zelisko’s license was revoked and he was fined, no criminal charge has been brought, and West Hartford police report an active open case. He is presumed innocent of any criminal conduct.
Zelisko was accused by the state of multiple standard-of-care violations, including abandoning patients, breaching patient confidentiality, and engaging in unprofessional conduct with colleagues. Joelle Newton, an attorney for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, told the panel that he wrote prescriptions for ketamine and testosterone in a patient’s name for his own personal use, socialized with patients at bars, and allowed patients to stay overnight at his residence. She said he also suggested patients hire his romantic partner as a life coach despite the partner being unlicensed. “The respondent clearly violated the standard of care,” Newton said, per CTPost’s reporting.
State charges identified that romantic partner as Aleixander Puerta and alleged the pair supplied illicit street drugs, including crack cocaine and methamphetamine, to a patient whose health subsequently deteriorated into a schizophrenia diagnosis requiring long-term hospitalization, Inside Investigator reported. Puerta had no mental health training or education beyond high school, despite being presented to patients as a certified life coach. Department of Public Health filings also found Zelisko issued roughly 1,260 prescriptions for controlled substances to about 152 patients between 2023 and 2025, and failed to check the state’s prescription monitoring program database for 132 of those patients.
Zelisko did not attend his September 24 disciplinary hearing, and the case unfolded without any defense testimony. According to Inside Investigator, he phoned into a September 3 board meeting claiming a domestic violence situation prevented him from responding to subpoenas, but he never submitted a written defense, and all 21 public health charges against him were legally deemed admitted as a result.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The three-person panel voted unanimously to revoke Zelisko’s license, and under state law it could levy up to $25,000 per violation — ultimately applying that maximum to each of six patient complaints to reach the $150,000 total. Dr. Katherine Grieco, addressing the panel, said there’s no amount of money that’s going to be appropriate given the scope of the allegations. Dr. Robert A. Green, chair of the disciplinary panel, advocated for a very significant civil penalty, saying the panel should send a statement to the physician and citizens that it is doing its job.
Formal complaints from multiple local psychiatrists reached the Department of Public Health as early as September 2025, but state regulators did not issue an emergency summary suspension of his medical license until August 18, 2026, according to We-Ha. That nearly year-long gap drew criticism from state medical board members, with the board’s chair questioning why the complaints took so long to reach the panel. Following the suspension, Zelisko voluntarily surrendered his Connecticut controlled substances license to the Department of Consumer Protection on August 21, 2026, according to Andreozzi + Foote, a law firm tracking the case.
Current Status
The West Hartford Police Department keeps an active case open on Zelisko, and he could still face criminal charges, though none have been filed as of this report. He has not responded to multiple requests for comment and does not appear to have retained legal counsel throughout the disciplinary process, per CTPost. He could appeal the board’s decision to Connecticut Superior Court, or ask the board to reconsider its ruling.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The revocation ends his ability to practice medicine in Connecticut; the surrendered controlled substances license had already stripped his prescribing authority weeks earlier. His professional collapse was mirrored by financial ruin, according to We-Ha’s reporting: he was evicted for nonpayment from his West Hartford office space in 2025, faced a second commercial eviction in 2026, had his Glastonbury home foreclosed upon, and faced multiple debt-collection lawsuits from private creditors. His entanglement with Puerta also surfaced in court paperwork: securing a bail bond for Puerta following a January 2026 arrest, Zelisko listed his employer as State of Connecticut DMHAS – private practice. He also had a $630 debt to a bail-bond service, and Puerta was arrested in August 2026.
Sources
- Hoodline, “West Hartford Psychiatrist Fined $150K After License Revoked Over Drug, Fraud Claims,” October 8, 2026 — source