Dr. Odell Moreno Owens, a longtime Cincinnati health leader, died Wednesday. he was 74 years old. He was only two weeks away from his 75th birthday. Owens is remembered by many as a trailblazer and community titan. He built a career in public service. Among the many prominent positions he held over the years, he was coroner of Hamilton County, president of Cincinnati, and chief of medical affairs for the Cincinnati Department of Health.Owens was a pioneer in medicine. Established the university’s IVF program and achieved the first successful conception and delivery in Cincinnati, as well as the first pregnancy from a frozen embryo. Owens graduated from Woodward High School. Proving some of his teachers wrong, he graduated from college, earned a master’s degree from Yale University, and completed a reproductive endocrinology fellowship at his School of Medicine at Harvard. “After flying out of Walnut Hills in ninth grade, my college counselor told me I was too poor and dumb to go to college,” Owens told WLWT in 2021. Cincinnati Mayor Sheryl Long has ordered all flags to be lowered to half-mast in memory of Owens.Retires after more than four years at Interact for Health.The organization “Interact for Health staff and board are deeply saddened by the passing of our former president and CEO, Dr. Condolences to his wife Marchelle and the children Christopher, Justin and Morgan Dr. Owens cares for our community from cradle to grave. A friend, and a mentor to many. During his four and a half years at Interact for Health, Dr. Owens worked to improve access to health care through school-based health centers, tobacco reduce the use of , address the opioid epidemic and improve community health equity. His contributions to the foundation have been part of a long career to improve health in Greater Cincinnati. He will be deeply missed, and his legacy continues last August with the dedication of a mural of Dr. Owens in the CET building in the West End, with the goal of becoming agents of social change through medicine and education.(Video below.) You can see that conversation in the player.) Owens told Cortis Fuller in that conversation that the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office issued a statement on the passing of Dr. We are truly saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Dr. “His legacy within the Cincinnati community is unquestionable and his impact will continue.” Owens’ daughter, Morga Ng shared the following statement with his WLWT’s Cortisfler. For this world, his lifelong mission is different. he certainly did. He influenced many people. His dad’s legacy lives on. Please continue to think and pray for our families,” Senator Rob Portman (R) wrote on Twitter: O’dell is a giant in Cincinnati’s healthcare community and will be missed. Deaf.”Owens retired in 2021. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Dr. Odell Moreno Owens, a longtime Cincinnati health leader, died Wednesday. he was 74 years old.
He was only two weeks away from his 75th birthday.
Owens is remembered by many as a trailblazer and community titan. He built a career in public service. He held a number of prominent positions over the years, including coroner of Hamilton County, president of Cincinnati, and medical director of the Cincinnati Department of Health.
Owens was a medical pioneer. He established the University of Cincinnati’s in vitro fertilization program and achieved Cincinnati’s first successful conception and delivery, as well as the first pregnancy from a frozen embryo.
Owens graduated from Woodward High School. Proving some of his teachers wrong, he graduated from college, earned a master’s degree from Yale University, and completed a reproductive endocrinology fellowship at his Harvard Medical School.
“After flying out of Walnut Hills in ninth grade, my college counselor told me I was too poor and dumb to go to college,” Owens told WLWT in 2021. Neither should put you in a box.Somebody should write you down.”
Cincinnati Mayor Sheryl Long has ordered all flags to be lowered to half-mast in memory of Owens.
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Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval tweeted in response to today’s tragic news:
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Owens served as President and CEO of Interact for Health for over four years before retiring.
The organization released a statement regarding Owens’ passing Wednesday afternoon.
“The staff and board of Interact for Health are deeply saddened by the passing of our former president and CEO, Dr. represent.
Dr. Owens has cared for our community from cradle to grave. He was a pioneer, a leader, a friend and a mentor to many. During his four-and-a-half years at Interact for Health, Dr. Owens worked to improve access to health care, reduce tobacco use, and address the opioid epidemic through his Center for School-Based Health. and worked to improve health equity in the community. His contributions to the foundation were part of a long career to improve the health of his Cincinnati Greater. He will be deeply missed and his legacy will continue to inspire work for years to come.”
last August, A mural of Dr. Owens was dedicated At the CET building in the West End.
In March, WLWT sat down with Owens on an episode of Let’s Talk Cincy to discuss Owens’ goal of becoming a social change agent through medicine and education.
(You can watch that conversation in the video player below.)
During that conversation, Owens told Cortis Fuller: Take care of Odell.”
He will retire in 2021.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office released the following statement on Dr. Owen’s passing: “We would like to express our deepest condolences on the sudden passing of Dr. Odell Owens. During his five-plus years as a coroner, he has made a lifelong commitment to positively impacting the lives of young people by encouraging them to stay in school, seek higher education, and make good social choices. I continued my mission. His achievements within his community of Cincinnati are unquestionable and his influence will continue. ”
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Owens’ daughter, Morgan, shared the following statement with WLWT’s Cortis Fuller. “My father was everything. My family and I are at a loss. My father gave so much to this world, his lifelong mission was to make a difference. He certainly He touched so many lives.Your father’s legacy lives on.Keep our family safe in your thoughts and prayers.
Senator Rob Portman (right) wrote on Twitter: very much. ”
Owens will retire in 2021.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
