Cardiologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Chiropractor providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dentist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dermatologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Family Physician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
OB-GYN providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Ophthalmologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Orthopedic Surgeon providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Pediatrician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Physical Therapist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Podiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Psychiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Renowned for his surgical precision, clinical excellence, and unwavering commitment to patient care, Dr. Michael T. Ragen is widely regarded as one of the most respected ophthalmologists in the United States. For more than three decades, patients have traveled from across the country—and around the world—to seek his expertise.
As the founder and guiding force behind Ventura Eye Institute in Camarillo, California, Dr. Ragen has built one of the region’s most distinguished centers for advanced surgical eye care. For over 35 years, the institute has been recognized for delivering sophisticated, state-of-the-art treatments in a refined and patient-centered environment. In addition to caring for thousands of patients, Dr. Ragen has mentored and trained numerous surgeons, and many physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals entrust him with their own eye care.
Dr. Ragen’s dedication to compassionate, personalized medicine has earned him national recognition, including being named “Most Compassionate Doctor” by the American Registry and repeated inclusion among “America’s Best Physicians.”
Education & Distinguished Training
Dr. Ragen earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School and continued his advanced medical education at Harvard Medical School. He completed both his internship and ophthalmology residency at the world-renowned USC/Doheny Eye Institute, an institution recognized globally for excellence in ophthalmic research and surgical training.
Further refining his expertise, Dr. Ragen completed a clinical fellowship in oculoplastic surgery in Los Angeles, providing specialized training in delicate reconstructive and aesthetic procedures of the eye and surrounding structures. Following his fellowship, he established the Ventura Eye Institute to bring world-class ophthalmic care to the community.
Professional Leadership
Dr. Ragen maintains active membership in several of the field’s most respected professional organizations, including:
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• Multiple national and international academic societies
He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)—a distinction recognizing the highest standards of surgical education, training, and ethical practice.
A Commitment to Excellence
Known for combining cutting-edge technology with meticulous surgical skill, Dr. Ragen provides advanced treatment options within a welcoming and sophisticated clinical setting. His approach is grounded in precision, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to the well-being of every patient.
For Dr. Ragen, exceptional eye care is not only about restoring vision—it is about delivering an experience defined by trust, expertise, and compassionate attention to every detail.
I welcome you to our website, and hopefully, at some point, to our office located in Encino, California. The purpose of this website is to give potential patients some basic information about my office and myself, David Paikal, MD. My practice specializes in comprehensive ophthalmology, where I favor conservative approaches, striving to be true to the bioethical tenet of “first do no harm.”
My staff and I will do everything possible to take the best care of you. The reason we can do so is because we love what we do: helping people to see better. Sometimes, that means admitting that we don’t have all the answers and referring you elsewhere. No one physician knows it all, and my staff and I are fortunate to have strong relationships with various sub-specialists, including academicians at universities, should the need arise.
In the great city of Los Angeles, we are blessed to have many world-class ophthalmologists, and therefore, your eyes will more than likely be in the best of hands with the majority of eye-care providers. Ultimately, your decision as a patient on whom to choose will really rest on who you feel most comfortable with, and where you can achieve the kind of patient-doctor relationship you are looking for.
My educational background is attached for those of you who are interested. I wish you health and happiness.
Sincerely,
David Paikal, M.D. Diplomate American Board of Ophthalmology Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA Stein Eye Institute
Dr. Nadji is a fellowship-trained, board-certified ophthalmologist. He takes pride in giving each patient individual attention and always allows them the chance to ask any and all of their questions. He specializes in sutureless cataract surgery and is one of the few surgeons in Santa Monica performing the newest laser cataract surgery. He is available for ophthalmic consultation and can screen for glaucoma, dry eyes, macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetes.
Dr. Nadji graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern. He then moved to New York to complete his residency at Nassau University Medical Center and his cornea fellowship at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island under the mentorship of Dr. Henry Perry and Dr. Eric Donennfeld, two leaders in the field. In fellowship, Dr. Nadji specialized in advanced cataract surgery, advanced dry eye management, premium intraocular lenses, and the latest techniques in laser and refractive surgery.
In his free time, Dr. Nadji can be found playing sports and enjoying the weather with his wife and two daughters. Dr. Nadji knows your time is valuable and aims for each patient to leave informed and satisfied.
Dr. Alex Onishi is a skilled ophthalmologist serving patients throughout Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles area at the practice of E. Joseph Nadji, MD.
Dr. Onishi is a native Californian who graduated with the highest distinction from the University of California, Berkeley. He then spent four years of medical school in Chicago at Northwestern University, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He went on to complete his residency training in ophthalmology at the University of California, Los Angeles Stein Eye Institute.
Dr. Onishi offers the full spectrum of ophthalmology services, with a special interest in cataract and refractive surgery. He performs conventional and laser-assisted cataract surgery with both traditional and advanced technology lenses, as well as laser vision correction. He also diagnoses and treats conditions such as dry eye, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. His priorities are to better understand his patients’ visual goals and help them achieve those goals to improve their quality of vision and, therefore, quality of life.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Onishi’s hobbies include weightlifting, soccer, pickleball, and hiking. He also enjoys caring for his houseplants.
“Dr. Onishi is young, well educated and an excellent diagnostician as well as kind human. The combo is rare in today's medicine. Can't recommend him more highly.”
Dr. David T. Stark, MD, PhD is a licensed, board eligible comprehensive ophthalmologist who trained at the prestigious UCLA Stein Eye Institute in Los Angeles. Dr. Stark performs LASEK and premium cataract surgery. Dr. Stark also treats glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and corneal/ocular surface diseases.
I have been practicing in Reseda since 1981 and I have seen so many changes. But what hasn't changed, eyeballs! Although I enjoy using the latest technology to help view, diagnosis, and treat my patient's eyeballs, they are still just my patient's eyeballs. I love educating my patients as much as I love educating myself. I believe it is important to understand what is going on with your eyes, how it happened or got to this point and what our part is. I believe if we are educated then we will be better equipped to make better decisions.
Shivani Gupta, MD, MPH, is an oculoplastic surgeon with over 10 years of experience in the field. She has a private practice in Beverly Hills, California.
As an oculoplastic surgeon, Dr. Gupta focuses on refreshing the face, performing blepharoplasty for the upper and lower eyelids, brow lifts, and treating ptosis (droopy eyelids). She also offers non-surgical treatments such as Botox® and fillers.
Dr. Gupta also specializes in autoimmune conditions that affect the eye area, including thyroid eye disease (TED). She participated in the early international clinical trials for Tepezza®, which is currently the only FDA-approved prescription medication for TED.
After earning her Doctor of Medicine degree at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine Dr. Gupta went on to complete her Ophthalmology residency training at the prestigious Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago, where she served as co-chief resident.
At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Dr. Gupta went on to complete a distinguished two-year fellowship program in oculoplastics accredited by the American Society of Ophthalmologic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Oculofacial Plastic Surgery® (ASOPRS).
Dr. Gupta also has a Master of Public Health (MPH) in epidemiology and is board-certified in ophthalmology. She’s also been inducted into the ASOPRS society and published numerous articles and book chapters related to oculoplastics.
With an interest in promoting health and well-being, Dr. Gupta takes a holistic approach to care, focusing on more than just surgery. She also helps her patients make lifestyle changes that lead to better health and wellness.
For attentive, personalized care, call the office of Shivani Gupta, MD, MPH, or schedule an appointment online today.
