Written by Laura Roe Stevens
To say that Jenny Luo, MD, is living her life to the fullest is an understatement. The emergency medicine specialist at Torrance Memorial Medical Center certainly works long hours in the emergency department (ED). But when she is off duty, she likely can be found at a fitness class with friends (usually from the ED) or trying out new restaurants with her partner, Bryce Fukunaga, MD.
In either scenario, Dr. Luo is likely talking about her latest adventure or is actively planning her next. The 41-year-old has visited 36 countries so far and is planning a cruise later this year to Antarctica.
“If all goes to plan,” she reports, “I will have set foot on all seven continents within the year 2024!”
A recent memorable international excursion involved spices, color and architecture. “We recently went to Morocco,” Dr. Luo says. “We took a tagine cooking class and went to markets to try the spices. The architecture is so unique with beautiful tiles. It’s one of those places unlike any other.”
Even the logistics of travel, such as taking multiple flights and navigating layovers that can often daunt others, seem to provide opportunities for further exploration and fun for Dr. Luo. For instance, when asked about the long flights to Morocco, Dr. Luo’s voice lit up as she explained how they flew directly to Paris first. After a lovely layover in the City of Light, where they enjoyed French cuisine and acclimated to the time difference, she and Dr. Fukunaga then flew directly to Marrakesh.
Some of her other favorite trips have been to Switzerland, the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Peru (where she climbed Machu Picchu) and group trips with fellow ED staffers. In fact, Dr. Luo recently went to Puerto Vallarta with some of the ED nurses. “We’re just like a family unit,” she says.
From Midwestern Childhood to Global Citizen
Dr. Luo moved to America with her mother when she was 10 years old. The two left China to reconnect with her father, who had been working in Chicago. Her childhood offered many opportunities she is grateful for, but the chance to visit other states and countries wasn’t one of them.
“When I was growing up my parents were immigrants, and they worked all the time. We didn’t do summer vacations or get to travel a lot,” Dr. Luo explains. “I went to college in Urbana-Champaign in central Illinois, surrounded by fields. Then I attended medical school in Chicago [Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science]. Living my whole life in Illinois, I wanted to go somewhere different.”
Landing in New York for her residency at Jacobi Medical Center gave her exposure to vast and diverse cultures—sparking her insatiable desire to travel internationally. “I’ve always been curious about new cultures and new lands,” she explains. “I’m lucky Bryce and our friends work within emergency medicine and enjoy the same things.”
Helping the Most in Need
Dr. Luo didn’t go to medical school with a plan to work in emergency services. But after one emergency room rotation, she got hooked.
“When I started med school, I got to choose the rotations I wanted. Older students advised me not to start with the one I wanted. So I chose emergency medicine, first thinking I’d get to do a little of everything. But then I fell in love with it.”
Specifically, Dr. Luo fell in love with the opportunities to help those most in need and, frequently, those who have fewer resources or options for care. “We get to deal with a lot of patients who need our help urgently and may not have access to health care,” she says of the emergency department. “It feels extra rewarding to be able to treat them.”
YPPA: Connections That Make a Difference
Dr. Luo joined the Torrance Memorial Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance (YPPA) program in 2021 after attending YPPA Casino Night as a guest of Nadine and Ty Bobit. When her colleague Stephanie Tang, DO, invited her to join, it was “an easy decision,” Dr. Luo says.
“It’s so much fun. I’ve been a member for three years now. It’s just a great organization, and I love the events. The fundraising to support the hospital is critical to our vision to better serve the community, and it’s such a great way to connect with people in the area,” Dr. Luo says.
Plus it’s a perk for busy physicians who are not from the South Bay. “Bryce and I don’t have children, and it’s hard to make new friends. YPPA is a great way to meet new people and a chance to make lifelong friends and have fun with colleagues while supporting the hospital at the same time.”
Founded in 2012, YPPA’s fundraising dollars support the hospital with tangible items such as employee recognition awards and initiatives such as the Spiritual Care Cart, NICU family reunions, journals for the Eating Disorder Medical Unit and care kits for ED boarders, among others. It’s not surprising, as the Torrance Memorial ED staff are notoriously close-knit, that 14 of its doctors are YPPA members, as well as four ED nurse managers.
“We do a lot together! We see each other at work, we work out together and even travel together,” Dr. Luo says with a laugh. “We always joke we are so lucky to be a part of the Torrance Memorial emergency physicians because we truly really like each other. So we find a lot of excuses to hang out together.”
YPPA, she explains, is the best reason to get together and have fun while also helping the hospital better serve its community.
