Dead Serious

About the Book

Dead Serious invites readers into the deeply human world of end-of-life care through powerful clinical stories, candid reflection, and the rare perspective of a father-son physician team. Written by two Family Physicians—one shaped by decades of caring for aging patients, the other trained in Hospice and Palliative Care—this book explores grief, ethical dilemmas, palliative medicine, and the practical realities families face when life nears its end. Compassionate, honest, and grounded in real medical experience, Dead Serious reveals truths medicine often encounters but does not always openly discuss. Some are comforting. Some are difficult. Some are unflinching. Together, they offer readers guidance, perspective, and companionship through one of life’s most profound passages. For patients, loved ones, caregivers, and anyone seeking to better understand death and dying, Dead Serious is a thoughtful and courageous guide to facing the end of life with honesty, compassion, and clarity.

About the Author

Benjamin Skoch, DO, MBA Ben is a husband, father, physician, board certified in family medicine and palliative medicine. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he has served since the completion of his fellowship. Ben completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, and his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. During medical school, he also completed a Master of Business Administration in Health care Leadership through Rockhurst University. He finished his residency training in Family Medicine at Research Medical Center, also in Kansas City. Ben and his wife, Angela, met during their collegiate experience at Rockhurst. If you meet Ben someday, be sure to ask him about his tenure as a Residence Hall Director and the impressive suite he landed in that dorm. Ben and Angela are the parents of four children. Outside medicine, Ben is active in his local parish and his children’s elementary school. Ben holds the honor of being the only member of the extended family to sing The National Anthem before a Kansas City Royals baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. Dead Serious is Ben’s first book publication. Michael Skoch, MD, MMM Semi-retired Family Physician, Michael Skoch, MD, has thirty-five years’ experience in clinical medicine, with areas of focus including family medicine and obstetrics, emergency medicine, and inpatient hospital medicine. He also served in administrative roles in Medicaid in Kansas and Nebraska. Kansas natives, Mike and his wife, Ginny, raised their family of seven children in south central Nebraska, where they lived for thirty years after Mike completed his medical studies in Wichita, Kansas. They returned to the Kansas City area in November 2020, where five of their adult children, including Ben and his wife and family, have made their homes, along with sixteen of their twenty-two grandchildren. Mike holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, a medical doctorate from the University of Kansas, and a master’s degree in medical management from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. In addition, he is certified in health care ethics through the National Catholic Bioethics Center. Outside medicine, Mike has interests in writing, music (mainly classical and sacred music), genealogy, and developing relationships with his children and grandchildren. Mike is also a church organist. Dead Serious is Mike’s second publication. His first book, Have You Seen Grandma’s Bra?, a memoir about mercy and forgiveness, was published in November 2025. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and statements expressed in this book are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views, opinions, or positions of their respective employers, institutions, employees, clients, or affiliates. Any content presented herein is shared in the personal capacity of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing or speaking on behalf of any organization with which they are affiliated.