By EMIL WHITIS
Daily Press Staff Writer
Today was ordained Dr. Owen Taylor Day in Artesia in honor of the man’s lifelong commitment to the health and well-being of Artesians.
Family, friends, patients and colleagues agree Taylor is an extraordinary man who defied the general trend of impersonality in the world of medicine by fusing feelings of compassion and caring with a deep knowledge of his profession.
It was Taylor’s ability to be, at once, an adept and empathic doctor, an involved family man and a perpetual student of the ever-evolving science of healthcare which has rendered him a legend in Artesia.
“It’s hard to describe someone you’ve always admired and tried to emulate,” said Dr. Johnny Moreno of the Yucca Healthcare Clinic. “He was very kind and thoughtful with patients (and) … diplomatic with other doctors.”
Moreno said Taylor mentored him as a young intern in 1972, teaching him how to read EKGs. Later, when Moreno returned to Artesia to practice medicine, Taylor instructed him in the subtle art of compassion through example.
“He was a doctor’s doctor … always very controlled … he measured very carefully what he said to patients and their families,” said Moreno.
Moreno said Taylor was also a practical physician who never wasted time on tests or medication which were unnecessary. …
