Key Takeaways
- Connecticut psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Zelisko had his medical licenses summarily suspended on August 18, 2026, after the Connecticut Department of Public Health brought allegations involving serious professional boundary violations.
- On September 24, 2026, Dr. Zelisko’s license was revoked by a Connecticut Medical Examining Board disciplinary panel.
- Investigative reporting has uncovered additional allegations involving possible sexual abuse and raised questions about how long regulators took to act after formal complaints were made.
- Former patients who experienced sexual abuse, exploitation, grooming, or other serious misconduct involving Zelisko or individuals connected to his practice may have grounds to pursue a civil lawsuit.
Dr. Douglas Zelisko’s License is Suspended
The Connecticut Medical Examining Board summarily suspended Dr. Douglas Zelisko’s physician and surgeon license on August 18, 2026, due to allegations of serious misconduct.
Three days later, on August 21, Zelisko voluntarily surrendered his Connecticut controlled substances license, according to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).
According to the suspension order, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) submitted “affidavits, reports and corroborating documents in support of its motion.”
The Board determined that the allegations required emergency action because the “public health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of the State of Connecticut is in clear and immediate danger.” Zelisko’s license was suspended pending a final determination in the disciplinary case.
DPH subsequently filed an amended Statement of Charges detailing allegations involving six patients, Zelisko’s romantic partner, his prescribing and billing practices, professional boundary violations, and his alleged failure to cooperate with DPH’s investigation. The allegations have not been established as final findings by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board.
Zelisko appeared for a professional discipline hearing on September 3, 2026, without legal counsel, and the proceeding was adjourned to give him additional time.
What Does DPH Allege?
The Connecticut Department of Public Health’s amended Statement of Charges contains allegations involving six patients, as well as broader allegations concerning Zelisko’s prescribing practices, billing, professional boundaries, recordkeeping, and cooperation with the investigation.
In its amended Statement of Charges, DPH alleges that Zelisko:
- Wrote approximately three ketamine prescriptions and six testosterone prescriptions in patient #1’s name without the patient’s knowledge and allegedly had the medications delivered to his residence “for his personal use.”
- “Violated professional boundaries by socializing with patient #2 at bars and/or restaurants, permitted patient #2 to stay overnight at his residence, and/or consumed alcohol and/or illicit substances with patient #2”
- Brought his romantic partner, identified in the charges as Individual #1, into his psychiatric practice as a “practice administrator, life coach, counselor and/or administrative assistant” even though Individual #1 “has never been licensed by the Department.
- Recommended Individual #1 to patient #2 as a “‘life coach’ and/or ‘certified addiction specialist,’ and misrepresented Individual #1’s credentials.”
- Arranged for Individual #1 to hold or administer the patient #2’s medications and conduct therapy sessions, and disclosed confidential patient information to Individual #1 without the patient’s consent.
- Billed patient #2 for appointments that allegedly did not occur, including appointments purportedly taking place while the patient was hospitalized.
- Prescribed ketamine to patient #3 in a manner DPH alleges was inappropriate and unsafe, while also allegedly failing to adequately monitor the patient.
DPH also alleges that Zelisko failed to appropriately respond to patients seeking appointments, medication refills, and medical records.
The amended charges further allege that, over a three-year period, Zelisko wrote approximately 1,260 controlled-substance prescriptions for approximately 152 patients and failed to check Connecticut’s Prescription Monitoring and Reporting System before issuing those prescriptions for approximately 132 patients.
The Connecticut Prescription Monitoring and Reporting System (CPMRS) is a statewide database that allows authorized medical providers to review a patient’s controlled-substance prescription history before prescribing certain medications.
DPH also alleges that Zelisko failed to provide requested patient records despite repeated requests and a subpoena, ultimately alleging that he “failed to cooperate with the Department’s investigation and/or provide the requested medical records.”
The charges also state that a Silver Hill Hospital physician expressed concern that Zelisko and Individual #1 were “grooming” Patient #2 after Individual #1 allegedly brought a vape pen to the hospital and used illicit drugs and/or smoked with the patient on campus.
Dr. Douglas Zelisko’s License Is Revoked
On September 24, 2026, the Connecticut Board of Medical Examiners revoked Dr. Zelisko’s medical license. Neither Zelisko nor an attorney representing him appeared at the hearing.
According to Inside Investigator, “Zelisko did not submit anything to the board contesting the charges, thus allowing the charges to be ‘deemed admitted.’”
During the hearing, Connecticut Department of Public Health attorney Joelle Newton outlined the DPH claims against Zelisko. “‘It’s clear that every aspect of the respondent’s practice was tainted with incompetence, negligence, malfeasance and a complete lack of professional integrity,’” Newton said.
The Board determined that the state had proven the charges against Zelisko.
The Board also indicated that it plans to impose a civil penalty against Zelisko at a later meeting.
Inside Investigator Uncovers Additional Allegations
Separate reporting by Inside Investigator has uncovered allegations and information that do not appear in DPH’s formal charges, including allegations of possible sexual abuse.
Inside Investigator identified Zelisko’s romantic partner, referred to only as Individual #1 in the DPH charges, as Aleixander Puerta.
Inside Investigator interviewed the mother of Patient #2, identified by the pseudonym Susan. According to Inside Investigator, Susan said her son had begun to stabilize after inpatient treatment and was returning to college when the family sought out Zelisko as part of his recovery team. She recalled that Zelisko initially inspired confidence, saying, “‘When I met Dr. Zelisko, I thought he was wonderful,’” and that the family believed they had found “‘the most important piece of [her] son’s care.’”
Susan said Zelisko then introduced Aleixander Puerta as a life coach and described that role as a “‘key component’” of her son’s recovery, although Inside Investigator reported that Puerta’s claimed credentials were allegedly false.
According to Inside Investigator, “Zelisko and Puerta, however, began to provide her son with cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol, and Puerta engaged in sexually explicit text messages with her son. They charged for sessions that never occurred or held ‘therapeutic’ sessions at restaurants like Dave & Buster’s.”
She said her son’s condition worsened substantially during this period, leading to multiple inpatient hospitalizations and, ultimately, a schizophrenia diagnosis.
Susan said her family eventually removed her son from Zelisko’s care after his condition deteriorated. Shortly afterward, she received letters from an incarcerated man identified as J.W., who alleged that Zelisko and Puerta were supplying her son with drugs.
According to Inside investigator, “J.W. wrote that he told state and federal law enforcement agencies of what was occurring, starting with the DEA and ‘two FBI agents that came to the county jail to speak with me’ in September 2025, but feared they were not doing anything. He also states that he informed the Massachusetts State Police. ‘I gave them Douglas and Aleix’s names and told the agents that he/they give clients drugs to coerce them into sexual acts. They provided me with a phone number to call to discuss it more, but they never answered,’ J.W. wrote.”
Once her son was able to make a statement in May 2026, Susan said she and her husband began applying “‘a lot of pressure’” to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH).
Concerns Reportedly Reached DPH Months Before Zelisko’s Suspension
Inside Investigator reported that “Although DPH investigators moved quickly to bring the issue to the board and suspend Zelisko’s license once it made it to them, complaints from multiple psychiatrists were made to other DPH officials roughly ten months earlier.”
A Hartford-area psychiatrist told the publication that she filed a complaint “‘immediately,’” after learning about the experiences of several former Zelisko patients. She also said three other doctors had also raised concerns with the Department “‘beginning as early as August 2025.’”
The psychiatrist questioned the delay, asking, “‘Why did it take a year before any restriction was placed on his ability to practice?’”
Could Dr. Douglas Zelisko Face Criminal Charges?
There appears to be a separate law-enforcement investigation involving Zelisko, however, as of the time of this writing, no criminal charges have been announced.
According to CT Insider, “the West Hartford Police Department told CT Insider that there is currently an active case concerning Zelisko.’”
Whether criminal charges are ultimately filed would depend on what investigators uncover and whether prosecutors determine there is sufficient evidence to pursue a case.
Who Is Dr. Douglas Zelisko?
Dr. Douglas Edward Zelisko has practiced in private, hospital, and state psychiatric settings in Connecticut and previously practiced in California.
In his professional biography, Zelisko described himself as splitting his time between his private practice, Integrative Psychiatry and the Institute of Living in Hartford, where he said he worked with older adults and focused on “medical-psychiatric integrative care.”
Institute of Living is a division of Hartford Hospital.
At one point, operated his private psychiatric practice with Dr. Briana Komar. According to an archived version of their website, “Drs. Komar and Zelisko were entrusted to continue providing care to the patients of two psychiatrists who retired in June 2022 after 30 years of practice. Since that time, they have expanded their scope of practice to better serve patients in the Hartford Area. Their practice is built on a solid foundation of friendship that formed during their residency and a shared belief in compassionate care.”
FOX61 spoke with Jeffrey Roy, Zelisko’s former landlord at 670 Prospect Avenue in Hartford, where Zelisko shared medical practice space with Dr. Briana Komar for approximately two years. Roy said he did not know the details of their professional arrangement, but recalled seeing “‘strange people coming in and out of his office at all hours’” before Zelisko stopped renting the space about a year earlier.
According to Zelisko’s biography, he graduated from Amherst College, attended St. George’s University School of Medicine, and completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Zelisko was also licensed to practice medicine in California. Doximity lists his California medical license as active from 2018 through 2026, and records show that his license is delinquent/expired. In California, Zelisko worked as an “outpatient provider as well as a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA” before he returned to Connecticut.
According to Inside Investigator, while running his private practice, “Zelisko was also employed by the State of Connecticut as a per diem psychiatrist at Connecticut Valley Hospital, which is run by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). State open records show Zelisko was employed by DHMAS between 2020 and 2025 and made, collectively, over $1.6 million during that time, including $483,575 in 2024 alone.”
After purportedly leaving the 670 Prospect Avenue office in Hartford, Zelisko appears to have continued his private practice from a newer office at 45 South Main Street in West Hartford. According to FOX61, however, that office was no longer listed on the building’s directory by the time of its report, “and a sign that neighbors identified as belonging to his practice has been removed from the office door.”
Former patients may recognize him as “Dr. Z,” which Zelisko himself said was a name he was “affectionately known by.”
Andreozzi + Foote Is Investigating
Andreozzi + Foote represents survivors of sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation, including those harmed by doctors and other professionals who misuse positions oftrust.
Our firm is investigating the allegations involving Dr. Douglas Zelisko and wants to hear from former patients who may have experienced grooming, sexual abuse, coercion, or exploitation in connection with what may have been presented as psychiatric treatment.
A civil investigation can help uncover what happened, examine prior complaints and warning signs, and investigate whether an individual or institution knew or reasonably should have known that patients were at risk.
In addition to providing survivors with an opportunity to seek compensation for the harm they have suffered, civil lawsuits can help hold institutions accountable and encourage stronger policies designed to better protect patients in the future.
Andreozzi + Foote represents survivors of sexual abuse nationwide and has extensive experience handling cases involving physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. Our team is trauma-informed and survivor-centered, and we work to help individuals understand their rights and decide what path is right for them.
If you or a loved one were treated by Dr. Douglas Zelisko and experienced grooming, sexual exploitation, coercion, or other concerning conduct, you may have civil legal rights. Your voice deserves to be heard, and our attorneys are ready to listen.
All consultations are free and completely confidential.
Contact us today.
Image sources: Dr. Zelisko, via Doximity. 45 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT, via Mid Century Mundane.
