We salute Dr. Murray

We join with his colleagues, the thousands of patients he has helped through the years, and his countless friends in saluting Dr. B. Lamar Murray on the 50th anniversary of his medical practice here.

Even though he modestly disagrees, the rest of us do see the occasion as a "big deal". 50 years of service to a community is a tremendous accomplishment for anyone. But, it carries even more significance when it is in a field of service so vital to the well-being of our citizens.

Dr. Murray has earned a reputation as a selfless care-giver. In addition to long office hours and regular rounds at the hospital, he has always responded to his patients' needs without regard to the day or hour. Only someone driven by boundless compassion could have achieved the reputation he has for caring for others.

Dr. Murray jokingly refers to the time when doctors charged $3 for an office visit. If state Medicaid reimbursements continue to dwindle at the present rate, he may practice long enough to see those rates again. We hope not, but the trend is a serious problem for counties like Burke, where so many of the patients seen by our local physicians are covered by Medicaid and Peach Care, both of which continue to be threatened by tight governmental budgets.

By all accounts, Dr. Murray has never made a decision about treating a patient based on their ability to pay. It is further testimony to this good man's compassion and dedication.

We're glad to hear him say that he has no plans for retirement or for slowing down. His patients, his colleagues, his hospital and his community need him today as much as ever.