Dr. Louis Pagnone, DO

About Me

I was born in Pomona, California and grew up in the Los Angeles area of Southern California. I studied Biology at UC Riverside. To study medicine, I chose a local osteopathic medical school in Pomona because of its philosophy and holistic approach to patient care, in addition to its teaching manipulative medicine. I completed my internship and three year residency in Emergency Medicine in Bakersfield, California. This means that I am trained to rapidly diagnose and treat life threatening disease processes. I chose this field because of one’s ability to impact upon a patient’s life immediately; to relieve a person’s pain; to make people feel better, now. Being an emergency physician is like being a "jack-of-all-trades" because we must know every organ system from head to toe. This makes my career challenging.

Why I Joined Kaiser Permanente

I have been with Kaiser Permanente since 2001. Kaiser Permanente allows me to practice medicine and put patient care first. …Kaiser’s unique integrated system allows for smooth transitions from ED to clinic, easy transfer of health information via computer, and availability of specialty consultations and referrals. No prior authorization is needed. Primary care doctors and specialists are my partners and colleagues. They are not competing with me or each other. This allows all of us to do what we love doing: caring for our patients.

My Practice Philosophy

Part of my practice philosophy comes from personal experiences as a patient and family member of a patient. Unfortunately, both of my parents have passed away. I was 16 and 27 when my mother and then father passed, respectively. At age 33, I underwent open heart surgery to replace an aneurysm (ballooning artery) and defective heart valve. This was obviously a big deal for me and my family. I can recall the emotions and fears I experienced and can use these to empathize with patients and their family members.

When I meet my patients, I like to know something about them: what do they do, where they are from, etc. It is important to talk with patients, not down to them. Involving patients in the decision making and treatment plan empowers people. This requires educating patients on what tests were done and why, as well as the results. Explaining to patients what you think is wrong and what will help is crucial. Also, it is important to let people know what to watch for and that if they do not get better or worsen, they need to call Kaiser.

A Little More About Me

My favorite pastime is spending time with my wife Jean, my daughter Eva and my son Luca. Mountain biking and inline skating keep me relatively in shape—and it is a great way to relieve stress. I enjoy reading, politics and entertaining. I enjoy lively debates with friends and family regarding current events.

I love to travel,as it is an opportunity to meet people from different cultures. Taking yourself out of familiar surroundings is a great escape from your daily routine. My wife and I are "foodies", which means that we love food. It is great to sample foods from around the world. I also enjoy wines. I am partial to reds, but will try anything once.


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