DPH panel opens disciplinary hearing for Dr. Gary Bikoff over 2018 ultrasound findings

A Department of Public Health panel opened a disciplinary hearing May 5, 2025, into allegations that Dr. Gary Bikoff failed to inform a patient that gallstones appeared on an abdominal ultrasound he ordered in November 2018 and failed to forward certain results to specialists, Department attorney Linda Fezzina told the panel. The panel comprises Dr. Robert Green, Dr. Daniel Rissy and attorney Edward McEnany.

The case stems from a patient complaint entered as a Department of Public Health exhibit and a statement of charges (petition number 2021914) originally filed Dec. 13, 2023. Fezzina told the panel that the patient learned in June 2021 at Rockville Hospital that gallstones had been present on the November 2018 ultrasound, and that the Department’s reviewer concluded Bikoff “failed to meet the standard of care” by not diagnosing or informing the patient and by not forwarding all test results when referring the patient to Connecticut GI.

The panel first addressed procedural matters. Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Bannon recorded the parties and confirmed that Bikoff—who told the panel he would represent himself after his prior counsel withdrew—had filed an answer on March 26, 2025, admitting only that he holds Connecticut physician and surgeon license number 025799 and denying the remaining allegations. Bikoff was placed under oath before testimony began.

The panel admitted board exhibits 1–7 and department exhibits 1–11 into evidence. Because several documents contain patient medical records, the panel granted the department’s request to enter department exhibits 3, 4 and 6 under seal so they would not be publicly available; counsel and the panel also agreed that portions of the department consultant’s report that quote or summarize medical records should be sealed. Fezzina described department exhibit 3 as containing the ultrasound report she says is dated Nov. 19, 2018, and department exhibit 6 as Connecticut GI records including a liver biopsy and pathology report.

Fezzina opened the Department’s case by describing the complaint and the department’s review. She said the department’s expert, Dr. Jeffrey M. Kagan, had concluded Bikoff’s documentation and actions fell below the applicable standard of care and would testify to that effect; Dr. Kagan’s written opinions are in department exhibits 7 and 9. The panel qualified Kagan as an expert in internal medicine for the hearing.

During his brief opening, Bikoff said he “did not tell the patient the ultrasound was normal,” adding that he had told the patient the ultrasound “did not answer the question of why he had asymptomatic, liver abnormalities” and that the patient was told “about a gallstone, but he was told that it was irrelevant to what we were dealing with.” He also told the panel he believes his care met the standard of care.

Dr. Kagan testified that he reviewed the department’s investigative materials, the patient complaint and medical records from Bikoff and consultants. On cross-examination he described preparing a chronology of events from the records, saying, “I basically, made up a chronology of events based on each document when it occurred for office visits or testing.”

Because testimony and documents were expected to include confidential medical information, the panel voted to move into executive session for further testimony on those matters. The hearing record shows the panel will continue fact-finding after testimony and closing statements; the panel members said they will deliberate and make findings after the close of evidence.

The hearing will resume in executive session. The Department has identified petition number 2021914 as the operative docket, and the record includes a prior consent order in an unrelated petition (referenced in the record as petition 2006-1115-001-196) entered in 2008; the panel received that prior consent order as a department exhibit.