Who are we?

~     The name Quality of Life came from James S. Nagel, M.D., co-founder and CEO, wanting a name to express the results a patient is able to achieve by applying his philosophies.

 ~    With over 15 years experience as a board certified Internal Medicine physician, as well as board certification in Functional and Anti-Aging Medicine, has implemented an approach to medicine integrating Eastern wisdom and Western medicine science and technology.

~    Committed to offering a Functional approach to medicine that addresses the root causes of the problem, as opposed to symptom treating, utilizing bio-identical hormone replacement therapies in an environment that is luxurious with a staff that is passionate about unsurpassed customer service.

~    A comprehensive array of Anti-Aging products and services ranging from laser services utilizing Cutera Laser Systems to a true Anti-Aging skin spa, The Q Spa.

~    Developed a revolutionary healthy aging, lifestyle program, The Quality of Life Medicine Program, which is designed to aid patients in optimizing their hormones while addressing lifestyle, nutrition, stress management and sleep issues for a better quality of life, for life.

~    Developed The Nagel Diet, a hormone endorphin, lifestyle and health optimization program that increases endorphins, address insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances, aiding patients in obtaining their optimum health with a side effect of healthy, permanent weight loss.

 

Our Story:

Before we were QLI:

Three specific events led to the creation of Quality of Life Medicine…

~    Looking around at the pharmaceutical companies’ advertisements posted in the forum during graduating ceremonies from Loma Linda Medical School in 1989, Dr. Nagel reflected back on the education he had received. He thought back to the questions he asked his attending and resident physicians as to “why are these patients ill in the first place” and "what is causing this ailment so we can fix it?" and getting elusive answers.  It was at that point Dr. Nagel realized that the only thing he was taught in medical school was how to read symptoms and then prescribe the appropriate pharmaceutical drug.  He knew that he had been molded into a glorified drug rep and that he really didn’t know how to heal patients at all with a Western medical school education (funded by the pharmaceutical industry).

~    After a major, near fatal, cycling accident about 15 years ago, in his recovery, Dr. Nagel realized the foods he ate made a significant impact on the level of pain he experienced.  During this recovery, he knew he didn’t want to be on pain medications for the rest of his life so he educated himself on nutrition and utilizing food as medicine.  In addition, becoming a patient himself, he realized the importance of listening to what his patients tell him.  They will best tell him the “how” and “why” of their ailments.

~    With his mindset being a bit “out of the box” for mainstream physicians, when it came time to take his CME courses, he chose courses that educated him on Integrative Medicine, one that combines both Eastern wisdom and Western science and technology utilizing natural hormone replacement therapies.  In addition to being a board certified Internal Medicine specialist, he obtained a board certification in Anti-Aging Medicine, which encompasses Functional as well as Regenerative Medicine, through The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.  Dr. Nagel is also obtaining a board certification in Integrative and Holistic Medicine through the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. 

 

 How Did We Become Quality of Life Institute?

~    Marie Hoäg, Co-founder and COO, was a business consultant to physicians and dentists specializing in teaching these doctors how to run their practices like businesses and maximize human resource potential.  Having been a Registered Dental Assistant before obtaining a Business Administration degree in Marketing, she witnessed a great deal of turmoil in the practice among employees.  She saw how the doctors had no interest in managing the practice, utilizing or empowering staff to their fullest potential.  With cattiness prevailing in the office setting, Marie saw that this greatly impacted the level of care the patients were receiving and the morale of the team. Her biggest goal was to create an environment that empowered staff to offer top quality care to the patients while offering exceptional customer service.  She then met Dr. Nagel…

~    At the age of 18, Marie’s physician diagnosed her “severely clinically depressed” and told her she would always be depressed and she would be on drugs her entire life to manage the symptoms. When she came in for a new patient visit with Dr. Nagel, he told her that he didn’t think her depression was an illness but a symptom of something else going on in her body.  He told her she did not have a Prozac deficiency and wanted to get to the core of her problem.  After obtaining a handful of blood tests, he diagnosed the true problem, and then addressed it, naturally.

 ~    During the five years they worked together, Dr. Nagel and Marie Hoäg have dreamed about putting together a place where patients can actually get well, have adequate time with the doctor and where Dr. Nagel can practice medicine that wasn’t dictated by the insurance companies. So they teamed up to establish a medical clinic offering Advanced Preventative medical care, utilizing a Functional Medicine approach, one that gets down to root causes, with the aid if a hand-picked, exceptional team of compassionate staff devoted to patient care and unsurpassed customer service, in an environment that is luxurious and beautiful.

  

Our Mission: 

The Fusion of Functional and Conventional Medicine.

~    To offer the most advanced technology, science and therapies in modern medicine.

~    To offer an atmosphere of luxury and beauty that encompasses all five senses.

~    To provide patients with an educated and trained staff, offering unbeatable patient care and exceptional professional customer service.

~    To provide the most indulgent, Anti-Aging spa experience with “can’t live without them” medical grade products and treatments.

~    To offer superior, hand-selected pharmaceutical grade supplements.

 

How We Are Accomplishing Our Mission:

~    Functional Medicine Clinic offering patients thirty minutes or more per visit with physician.

~    State-of-the-art laser technologies for aesthetic treatments.

~    A dedicated team of highly trained, principled individuals to service all our patients’ needs.

~    Top of the field practitioners devoted to delivering exceptional patient care with one united goal of wellness.