Michele Luckenbaugh

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Michele Luckenbaugh

Rocket’s red glare, screams, and piercing bullets fly through the air. The earth trembles from disgust, splitting open, sucking everything within. Leaders carve up the world like it’s theirs for the taking. Narcissistic leaders are out to gain power and control, devoid of morality and empathy for the people below. And I shake my head and wonder when this will all stop.

2 weeks ago | kevinmd.com | Jay Joshi |Ron Chapman II |Ken Terry |Michele Luckenbaugh

As the traditional health insurance framework becomes increasingly inaccessible, physicians and clinical leaders are being called to rethink both how care is delivered and how it is paid for. Insurance companies are covering fewer services, raising deductibles, and narrowing networks. Patients are now forced to make health decisions based not just on need—but on affordability, timing, and bureaucratic feasibility.

3 weeks ago | kevinmd.com | Michele Luckenbaugh |Sara Pastoor |Divya Seth |Jessica S. Cranston

Silence is a prison that locks away the truth,hiding it in the shadows of life. Words yearn to be spoken,but are instead swallowed whole. It’s a safer alternativethan facing an empty void. Your gaze is directed elsewhere,avoiding the person who sitsbefore you … one who is waiting forcompassion that never arrives. So, the spaces between wordsgrow longer andthe disconnect becomes stronger.

3 weeks ago | kevinmd.com | Peter Ubel |Gabriela Ramirez |Gabriela Ramírez |Michele Luckenbaugh |Hannah Valino

When I was a kid, my dad and I used to go on regular weekend hikes up to Henninger Flats at the Eaton Canyon Natural Area in Altadena, California. When we made it to the top, we would sit at one of the wooden benches overlooking the San Gabriel Valley, enjoying our midhike snack, usually a fruit of some sort and a handful of trail mix. On a clear day, we would try to identify neighborhood landmarks from where we sat. Lake Avenue. Altadena Country Club. Victory Park.

3 weeks ago | kevinmd.com | Francisco Torres |Leonard Wang |Michele Luckenbaugh |Carol Ewig

Recently, I found myself in need of surgery, a situation I had not faced in many years. The vulnerability I experienced as a patient was more intense than I ever anticipated. Despite my role as a doctor who often considers patients’ emotional well-being, I felt this. This experience brought me face-to-face with the emotional challenges that patients face in a new way. This perspective is crucial for all health care professionals to understand fully.