Tom Bugansky of Mid Wilshire/Beverly Hills on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tom Bugansky. Check out our conversation below.

Tom, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Building Prestige has been the greatest joy of my life, and simultaneously the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I had a crystal-clear vision of my aftercare from the start: articulating beds, spa-like comfort, and total patient accessibility; Essentially, turning post-surgical recovery into something that feels restorative instead of clinical.

For months before I ever opened the doors, I lived inside that dream. Before we could open, my days were completely consumed with hands-on work: relentlessly chasing orders, making hundreds of phone calls, assembling all the beds, desks, medical carts, and supply racks, then wiring computers, configuring printers, setting up Wi-Fi and phone systems, and installing the nurse-call systems throughout the facility.

Evenings were dedicated to writing charting templates, intake forms, clinical protocols, and every guideline needed to protect my patients, my staff, and the high standards I set for the practice.

I retrofitted every room myself, measured twice (sometimes ten times), and refused to cut a single corner. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours went into making sure that when someone arrived vulnerable and in pain, they would step into a space that whispered, “You are safe, you are seen, and you will heal in peace.”

To me, Prestige has never been just a recovery center I built. It’s every late night, every dropped tool, and every moment of self-doubt I pushed through to make this dream a reality.

It’s proof that one person’s obsession with caring deeply can create something rare and beautiful.

This is my legacy, and I’m still writing it every single day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tom Bugansky. I’m a Korean adoptee who arrived in the United States at age two and was raised in Oregon by an incredible family I’m proud to call my own.

After high school, I joined the United States Marine Corps, where I served four years and learned the meaning of responsibility, discipline, and unbreakable values. Once I left the Corps, I pursued a career in healthcare and became a Certified Surgical Technologist.

For more than 14 years I’ve had the honor of scrubbing in on thousands of cases, building deep trust and lasting relationships with surgeons, OR teams, and administrators across the region.

Those relationships are the foundation of my post-op recovery suites at Prestige Surgical Aftercare. One surgeon put it best when he told me, “Tom, you are the brand. Prestige is you. We send our patients to you because we know, without question, they’ll be taken care of.”

That trust—earned in the OR and proven every day at Prestige—is what drives everything I do. Semper Fi, and always in service to my patients.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from almost everyone I’ve worked with in healthcare—vendors, nurses, doctors, even the housekeeping staff—they all shaped how I think and how I treat patients at Prestige. But the real teacher has been the work itself.

In earlier days, I never turned down a project. I saw every assignment as a free opportunity to learn something new—no tuition required. I’m a huge believer in on-the-job training. The world is always going to be your classroom, and the best part is you actually get paid to learn instead of paying to sit through lectures, simulations, and hypothetical scenarios.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, there were plenty of days I wanted to throw in the towel and walk away for good. But I knew that if I quit, I’d regret it every single day for the rest of my life.

When I commit to something, I have to give it every last ounce I’ve got—otherwise I can’t honestly say I left it all on the field.

The struggles are real, and the emotional roller coaster will test every fiber of your being. You’ll be forced to make tough executive decisions that your team will question. Not every call will be the right one, and even the right decisions sometimes come too late. People will come and go, but at the end of the day, you have to know in your heart that you did what was best for the long-term health of the company—even when it hurt.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
The truths that define who I am come from the strong morals and values I was raised with. I grew up in a small town called Aloha, Oregon. Not a lot happened there when I was young, but to me it was perfect. We had tight-knit family values, rock-solid friendships that could survive anything time threw at them, and a simple life—heading to the lake on a sunny Saturday with friends, fishing, swimming, and just being together.

There were no cell phones, no internet, no social media—and honestly, that’s what made it so great. We spent time together because we wanted to, not because we were notified to.

I live by one simple rule: always do the right thing—even when no one is watching. That’s integrity. I believe in karma, and I will never sacrifice my personal values just to make a business grow faster. Success built on anything less isn’t success at all to me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes—and I truly believe a lot of people are living that way right now. Every single job, from housekeeper to CEO, is ultimately a thankless one. The praise rarely comes, and after a while you stop expecting it. But whatever field you’re in, give it the absolute best you’ve got—so that when you walk through your door at the end of the day, you can look yourself in the mirror and feel good on the inside.
There may be no applause, no raises, no celebrations waiting for you. You do it anyway, simply because that’s who you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prestigeaftercare.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestigeaftercare
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prestigeaftercare
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/prestige-surgical-aftercare-los-angeles
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@prestigeaftercare
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@prestigeaftercare

Image Credits
Randi Roberts Photography for the personal photo only.