The Lags Medical Centers at 3751 E. Shields Ave. in May 2021 closed along with its other locations. Photo by Breanna Hardy.

Lags Medical Center, a pain management clinic, closed several of its locations “due to unforeseen circumstances.” Now patients are left without care. 

A call to the clinic confirmed that all locations were closed, including locations in Visalia, Hanford, Fresno and Madera.

The medical centers are spread throughout California and headquartered in Santa Maria. Dr. Francis Lagattuta is the founder and director of medicine for Lags Medical Centers. He holds a current medical license, with a notation by the Department of Consumer Affairs that reads, “A citation and/or fine has been issued for a minor violation(s) of the law. This is not considered disciplinary action. This matter has been resolved.” 

Patients of the clinic posted on social media a text message that Lags Medical Centers would be closed immediately. Patients, some staff and the public were left without reasoning.

Dr. Frederick Kyle Comrie, who treats patients at the Fresno and Madera clinics, holds a valid medical license.

The reason for the closures is still unknown. Fresno County Public Health Department said it does not have information about the medical centers. 

“We’re working with our partners as best as we can to figure out exactly what’s going on,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer for FCPH.

When reaching out to the Drug Enforcement Agency to ask if the department shut down one of the clinics, it did not respond before the time of publication. 

A response from the California Department of Public Health said, “CDPH has received no word about any closures of any facilities related to the company Lags Medical Centers.”

The CDPH said the two locations, one in Bakersfield and in Fresno were accredited facilities, meeting Medicare’s “conditions of participation,” which are federally regulations.

Patients scrambled on social media to express concern and share experiences.

One patient, Joelle Byrd, has been a patient with Lags Medical Centers but says she’s been unhappy with the clinics for years. She suffers from many sources of chronic pain. Her back pain started after her car accident in 1998. 

“I just got a call with an automated robo message saying that the office is closing, they will give patients a last 30-day prescription, and we need to get with our primary care doctor to get further help with pain management,” Byrd said. 

She said that any time she was referred to receive treatment, the referral was never submitted correctly, and Byrd was not able to receive the treatment she needed. After speaking with her insurance about why the referral wasn’t going through, she was told that Lags staff failed to submit proper proof of the need for the procedure. 

“After months of requests for help with it and getting nowhere, I went through my primary care office and they got me approved for surgery ASAP,” Byrd said. 

She said the problem traces back to the opioid crisis, in which many people end up going to the streets to get medication because they cannot get enough from the doctor. Some turn to street pills that are laced with fentanyl and they overdose. If they got the proper amount of medicine for pain from the doctors, they wouldn’t be going to the streets to get it.

The clinics had received Paycheck Protection Program loans under “Lagz Corporation,” “Lags Spine and Sportscare Medical,” “Lags Spine and Sportscare Medical Centers, Inc.” and “Lagz Corp., the Spine and Pain Treatment Medical Center of Santa Barbara and the Spine and Pain Treatment Center of Santa Maria.” The total amount from April 2020 to February 2021 totals over $7 million, with each loan lended by Fresno First Bank. The money was directed specifically to payroll, with a few loans citing $1 for utilities.

Just two months ago, a LinkedIn post featured a job posting which called for physicians in Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton. The job link is now unavailable on Lags Medical Centers’ website. One month ago, the medical center was seeking a clinical manager for three offices in the Ventura area. 

The Better Business Bureau states that Lags Medical Centers’ profile is being updated, and states that it is not BBB accredited.