Medical Board hears oral argument in Dr. Rowena Garcia Chua Poco disciplinary case; panel reserves decision

The Medical Board of California, Panel A heard oral argument May 14, 2025, in the disciplinary accusation against Rowena Garcia Chua Poco, MD (physicians and surgeons certificate number A51290). After argument the panel closed the record and moved to closed session for deliberation; the parties were told they would not receive a decision that day.

The hearing focused on three contested factual and procedural issues: whether the procedure record showed true hypoxia during the colonoscopy, whether the physician’s contemporaneous charting and later edits were accurate and timely, and who carried primary responsibility for monitoring sedation during the procedure. The parties also debated how much weight the panel should give the presiding administrative law judge’s proposed decision and which statutory standards apply.

Respondent counsel Cyrus Tabari told the panel the issue of discipline should be viewed in the context of Dr. Garcia Chua Poco’s experience and subsequent corrective steps. Tabari said the doctor had performed “over 15,000 colonoscopies in her career”…