Few people have lived with the range of experiences and sense of wonder that define Michael Lang’s life. From working on national economic policy and helping to oversee federal price controls in Washington, D.C., to more than a decade living in India, his journey has been anything but ordinary. But he never expected one of his most peaceful experiences to take place at a hospital in Burbank.

Originally from Texas, Michael and his wife, Tami, eventually made their way to Los Angeles after years of moving around the country. They now live in Sherman Oaks with their dog Angel, just a short drive from Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. What followed was a series of unexpected health events and a deeply personal transformation.

Michael, now 80, had been grappling with worsening spinal issues. “I was falling like a puppet on a string,” he recalls. Rather than seek help immediately, the self-professed procrastinator ordered elbow and knee pads online. But after a few more frightening falls, he ended up in the Jaromír Střížka Emergency Department at Providence Saint Joseph. What happened next surprised him.

“I’ve been to plenty of hospitals,” Michael says, “but this one felt completely different. It was soft instead of hard. I felt a wonderful and caring energy.” From the nurses to the volunteers, the environment struck him as unusually warm, attentive and human. Michael is quick to credit Providence Saint Joseph with giving him something he hadn’t found anywhere else: a sense of peace.

From healing to helping others

Michael first became a patient at PSJMC in October 2024, and the care he received, particularly from the nursing team, left a lasting impression. “They weren’t just doing their jobs,” he says. “They genuinely cared. I could feel it in every interaction.”

Moved by that care, Michael chose to give back. He made a bequest and pledged support to nursing education, helping to ensure future caregivers receive the training and encouragement they need to carry forward the same level of excellence and compassion. After undergoing a spinal procedure in March 2025, Michael felt better and stronger. To honor his physicians, Drs. Adi Iyer and Herman Kagan, Michael and Tami decided to make a second blended gift to advance patient care at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center’s Hycy and Howard Hill Neuroscience Institute.

“I want to make it possible for others to get the kind of care that I experienced,” he shares. “My sense of well-being has increased dramatically, and I want to express my deep gratitude.”

Now, Michael and Tami are expanding their giving to support spiritual health at the medical center. “Not everyone believes in the same things, but everyone can benefit from feeling seen, supported and loved,” Michael explains. “Providence Saint Joseph does that, without judgment.”

His generosity is about more than gratitude. It is about possibility. Michael hopes his gifts help preserve and grow the culture he experienced during his stay, a culture rooted in whole-person healing.

“Michael’s story is a powerful reminder of how healing extends beyond procedures and medicine,”  says Tina Johann, president and chief philanthropy officer at Providence Saint Joseph Foundation. “He felt something many of our patients describe: a deep sense of peace and connection that reflects our commitment to whole-person care. We’re incredibly grateful for his generosity and his belief in the kind  of healing that nurtures both body and spirit.”

“I used to travel a million miles a year,” he says with a smile. “Now, I mostly stay home. But if I had to go anywhere, it would be back to Saint Joe’s. Not because I’m sick, but because it feels like an extension of home.”