Pillar of medical community — Dr. Loretta Ortiz y Pino — dies

Dr. Loretta Ortiz y Pino died from ovarian cancer Feb. 28.

The Taos News learned of her death from her partner, Melissa Kennelly, March 1. Ortiz y Pino shared a home with Kennelly in Taos.

Ortiz y Pino, a pediatrician, was previously the chief medical officer of Taos Health Systems and owned the Taos Clinic for Children and Youth for more than 15 years. She was also involved in the Taos-Picuris Indian Health Service Clinic and Community Against Violence, among other organizations.

At Holy Cross Hospital, she served as medical director of the pediatric hospitalist program and helped develop the medical staff’s credentialing and privileging process, reorganize its peer review process and revise its bylaws.

Ortiz y Pino also founded the volunteer patient advocate program in Holy Cross Hospital’s Emergency Department. More recently, Ortiz y Pino co-founded Integrative Medicine de Taos (IMdT).

For more information on her life, check back to taosnews.com and the March 9 print edition of The Taos News.