Dr. Tafoya was raised in a small ranch town outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico as the youngest of four children. Coming from a blue-collar family, the idea of hard work and sacrifice led him to become a first-generation college graduate. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Mexico, before enrolling in both medical and graduate school. After he received his Medical Degree and PhD, he moved to Tucson, AZ for further training in ophthalmology at the University of Arizona. It was this training that fostered a strong, shared awareness of service, solidifying his belief in ophthalmology as an important aspect of community health. Dr. Tafoya joined The Cataract & Glaucoma Center in October of 2017, which then affiliated with us here at the Southwest Eye Institute in October of 2020.
“My care philosophy is to treat each patient as I would my family members. I think that communication is the most important part of visiting with patients. I pride myself on explaining to each patient in terms that are easily understood about their eyes, vision problems, and treatment options. Too often, patients will feel frustrated when visiting a physician because in the end they do not know what the impact of their eye problems are and why they are starting a treatment. My goal is that my patients and I reach a decision together as a team because they are well informed.
