LAGS Medical Centers is a pain management group operating throughout California, Oregon, Washington & Nevada. They have 38 clinics, and serve 13,400 patients/month with 55 providers.  But this week, LAGS Medical Centers closed their clinics in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Templeton, and Grover Beach California, without notice. There has been no communication from the other LAGS clinics to find out if they are open in other states. And the location page on their website is no longer functioning.

Notice: Pain management clinics close down, leaving patients on their own.

Do you really think this won’t happen to YOU?  Any day, any time, you can read that message as it pertains to your clinic.  NO CLINIC IS SAFE!!

So what has caused the LAGS clinics to suddenly close? My guess is that they are next to be taken down by our out-of-control government. And why would they be targets?

Founded by Francis Lagattuta MD in 2000, the LAGS clinics have used an integrative medicine approach to pain treatment.  They follow the CDC 2016 guidelines, and have reduced the MMEs per patient. But that does not guarantee safety from attack.

NO DOCTOR OR CLINIC IS SAFE FROM ATTACK!  

As stated on the LAGS website:

“While the nationwide average for pain physicians MMEs is 120, our combined patient average resides below 40 – that puts our opioid prescriptions at 69% lower than the national average.”

“We are actively seeking ways to raise awareness of the ineffectiveness of opioids and alternatives to traditional pain management. All of this aligns with our mission: Improving our patients’ quality of life by reducing pain and restoring function using the latest evidence-based, minimally-invasive, interventional treatments.”

So what might the reasons be for targeting these clinics?

Strike #1: Using medicine that heals disease

By treating the cause of the pain, Dr. Lagattuta’s protocol has returned patients to a healthy, active lifestyle: restoring function and minimizing pain.

Strike #2: Treating the expendable populations

LAGS treats a large base of the expendable Medicaid/Medicare patients.

Strike #3: Has the assets.

It’s obvious, with 38 clinics, that Dr. Lagattuta has the finances that the government would like to confiscate.

How is the government getting away with this?

No effective advocacy.  We, on Doctorsofcourage, have the answer to ending this problem. But instead of learning the truth and supporting getting it out to the public, chronic pain patients chase rabbits such as the CDC guidelines or blaming illicit drugs. Obviously, from the information above, you should see that CDC guidelines make no difference. And the government has labeled all opioid users addicts in order to put doctors in prison as “drug-pushers”.

Pain patients just move to another clinic. This has gone on forever. When I was attacked in 2006, instead of stepping up and speaking out, my patients told me they would just move to another doctor.  But soon there won’t be “another doctor” for any pain patient.

Doctors don’t come together. Those who haven’t been attacked think they are “safe” because they do everything right–until the DEA visit, and then it is too late.  Even after the attack, doctors are kept from coming together by the instructions of their lawyers. They give up their right to a speedy trial so the government can drag things out until they no longer have the finances to fight.

Conclusion

If you don’t see the writing on the wall, or simply think you are safe with your head in the sand, keep doing what you are doing.  However, if you are starting to have ears that hear and eyes that see, then get on board what will end the attack on drugs, doctors, and pain patients.  I am developing an introduction to the information that can end this government overreach. So grab the free gift in the author box below, and get on the email list to get that information when it is available. Join Doctors (and Patients) of Courage as a supporting member. Or get ready to not have pain management with opioids.