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Dr. Jim Gagné´s Patient & Practice Information

I'm a physician certified in internal medicine, pain medicine, and addiction medicine. You can learn about my practice near La Canada, California, and look over a variety of articles and handouts.

Contact Me

Verdugo Internal Medicine, Inc.
1809 Verdugo Blvd., Suite 200
Glendale CA 91208
(818) 790-4300

Biography and Practice Information

Here's a description of my background and training, and how you pronounce my name.
My internal medicine practice is across the street from Verdugo Hills Hospital in La Canada, California, just north of downtown Los Angeles.

Do you need a primary physician?

What does a primary care physician do, and why is that important to your health?

Preventive Medicine

What is preventive medicine?
Which specific preventive medicine tests should you have?
Which vaccinations do adults need?
Do men over 50 need a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test?

Health Information Articles and Handouts

Here are Healthful Hints brochures on a variety of general medical topics. These are handouts I've written over the years to give to my patients. For easy printing, you can also download many of them in Adobe Acrobat format.
Just added in 2007: how to assess your risk of heart disease, and what to do if your risk is elevated. What is metabolic syndrome, and how do you treat it?
A section on emotional healing. I've updated this topic extensively. Several handouts discuss various antidepressant medications.
Information for patients with chronic pain and those trying to arrange for their care. This section is an introduction to how I treat chronic pain. You'll find a description of my approach to pain management plus information on the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Extraordinary Maturity

In April 2006 Greg Mooers and I recorded two videos that discuss Extraordinary Maturity: how to grow up and become genuinely yourself. Now you can watch them here on DrGagne.com.

Spirituality in Medicine

A number of techniques and approaches have great potential in helping you heal. Here's an overview of the topics in this section.

Miscellany

I often recommend books to patients to help deal with a variety of problems. Here's a descriptive list of books and tapes you may find helpful.
You'll find an opportunity to provide feedback, comments, and discussion at the bottom of every page. Please use that if there's something you particularly like or dislike. Was anything unclear or hard to understand? What should I add? (Note: please do not use the feedback page to ask questions about your personal medical situation.)
Finally, this site continues to grow and develop. See the list of upcoming future topics.

Updates and Announcements

I've updated two articles and reworked the comment section -- From Jim Gagne, MD on 14 June 2009 (posted Sunday, June 14 2009).

Some of my patients have magical beliefs about the power of vitamins and other supplements to improve their health. They're upset if I suggest most vitamins might not do much. But in the past few years, scientific studies have conclusively demonstrated the limitations of these supplements.

I've come to believe that magical thinking is much more common than most of us realize. Teaching about magical thinking has proved helpful for patients at the Canyon at Peace Park, where I am a medical consultant. The new article on Magical Thinking reflects these insights.

Second, new scientific information about dieting raises doubts about how much more more a high-protein diet helps you lose weight. I've extensively modified the section on Rational Weight Loss to discuss these new views.

Finally, previously I had multiple comments sections where I had hoped people would discuss the topics on this site. But people rarely used this feature except to ask questions about personal medical issues. But I can't discuss your particular medical situation without seeing you as a patient. So I've simplified this to a single comments page.

---Jim Gagne, MD---

Update on PSA screening -- From Jim Gagne, MD on 19 March 2009 (posted Thursday, March 19 2009).

Yesterday the New England Journal of Medicine published two major studies evaluating whether PSA testing is worthwhile for men over 50. The answer? No significant benefit turned up, but the studies need to continue for a few more years before we're certain. Details here.

Listed in Southern California Directory

Last updated Thu, Mar 19, 2009