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Connecticut board votes to summarily suspend Dr. Karen Sondergaard’s license pending hearing
Summary
The Connecticut Medical Board approved a department motion to summarily suspend the license of Dr. Karen Sondergaard, citing alleged alcohol use in violation of a prior consent order; the suspension was approved by roll call with one recusal.
The Connecticut Medical Board voted to summarily suspend the license of Dr. Karen Sondergaard after the Department of Public Health told the board the physician posed a “clear and present danger” to public safety.
The department’s attorney told the board the motion was the department’s “motion for summary suspension in petition number 2025-876,” and said Sondergaard had been subject to a prior consent order in petition number 2023-262. The earlier consent order, approved by the board on Feb. 18, 2025 and effective March 1, 2025, imposed four years of probation, required abstaining from nonprescribed drugs or alcohol and required random urine screens. The department alleged the respondent had abused alcohol beginning on or about March 18, 2025, and asked the board to suspend practice immediately.
Board members discussed procedure and the purpose of a summary suspension: temporary removal of the license without a full hearing when the department believes continued practice presents an immediate danger. Attorney Ryan Burns advised the board that a summary suspension is a preliminary step and that a hearing to adjudicate the underlying allegations is typically scheduled within about two weeks.
Dr. Green moved to summarily suspend the license; Dr. Riese seconded. The roll-call vote recorded 14 approvals and one recusal (Dr. Grieco); the motion passed. After the vote, the board solicited volunteers for the summary-suspension hearing panel; several board members volunteered to serve on short notice.
The suspension does not resolve the underlying allegations, and the department said it will proceed with a hearing on the petition to determine any final discipline.
The board’s action was procedural and immediate; the suspension enforces temporary removal of practice privileges while the underlying petition proceeds to adjudication.
