A Life of Service, A Heart for Lamprey
Patient, Board Member & Volunteer Provider!
When you meet Dr. Mary Lyster, you quickly realize she’s a force of nature, equal parts intellect, compassion, and adventure. A devoted sailor who jokes about “itching to get back on the boat” after a serious accident this fall, Mary brings that same resilience and passion to medicine. Her journey began at age eight, when she fashioned a stethoscope out of funnels and tubing to listen to her cat’s heartbeat. That curiosity has never faded. Today, after more than 100,000 patient visits, countless mission trips to Tanzania and Panama, and years teaching future physicians at Brown and Dartmouth, Mary still says, “I’ve never even thought about retiring.”
Her philosophy is simple: say yes when your gifts meet a need. That’s why, after moving to New Hampshire and becoming a Lamprey patient three years ago, she didn’t hesitate when Lamprey CEO Sue Durkin asked her to join the board. “Who wouldn’t say yes to Sue?” she laughs. But Mary’s commitment goes deeper. She volunteers two days a week as a family provider in Nashua, speaking Spanish, English and French and serving patients through Lamprey’s InteGreat program, which integrates primary care and behavioral health.
Why Lamprey?
For Mary, it’s the warmth. “The human connection here, the care and concern beyond medicine, is extraordinary,” she says. From her PCP, Dr. Ruvolo, to every nurse and admin, she sees a culture of kindness and efficiency: “A full parking lot but an empty waiting room, now that’s respect for patients.” She admires the rigor of Lamprey’s hiring process and the strength of its board, calling it “exceptional.”
Mary’s story is one of lifelong learning and purpose. She believes flourishing matters, diversity promotes understanding, and kindness begins with those closest to you, with her wife, Jemma, and her adult son who “had no inclinations toward medicine”, Mary laughs, but instead followed his passion studying film and creative writing.
Next June, she’ll head to Senegal, using her French, for yet another mission trip, because helping others while she can and with her gifts is what drives her. “The richness of life is people and interactions,” she says. At Lamprey, Mary has found a place where those values shine; a place she’s proud to call her healthcare home, her boardroom, and her clinic!
