Media Contact: Tim Kershner, Director of Communications & Public Affairs
603-356-5461 ext. 2198
timothy.kershner@mainehealth.org
NORTH CONWAY, NH – Like many during the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Peter Murphy, left the city for the mountains. Dr. Murphy, a new primary care physician at Memorial Hospital, he says he “always wanted to come back to rural medicine.”
“It is great to have Dr. Murphy on board at Memorial,” said Dr. Matthew Dunn, Chief Medical Officer. “His expertise and background in both rural health and family medicine will truly benefit our primary care patients.”
Originally from the Midwest, Dr. Murphy attended Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., where he majored in biology. After college, he spent time conducting research in cardiovascular and kidney disease in New York and then for two years in Santiago, Chile at the University of Chile School of Medicine as a visiting scientist. After returning to the United States and earning his medical doctorate at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, he stayed on at the UVA Health System to complete residency training in family medicine with a focus on rural health.
After residency, Dr. Murphy went into general practice in Brookline, Mass. as a primary care physician with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. While there, Dr. Murphy cared for a large panel of patients with a geriatric focus. He says he enjoyed the “continuity of relationships with patients, and working with multi-generational families,” something he looks forward to in his new role at Memorial.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Murphy transitioned to providing telehealth and acute care services, including staffing a field hospital, specifically to assist patients living in homeless shelters in the area, which were hit hard by COVID-19.
“The shutdown allowed [my wife and I] to reassess our goals and priorities,” Dr. Murphy said.
“I decided I would much rather be back where I had originally trained to be, in rural health.” They traveled to Maine in early summer and decided to make the state their full-time residence.
Dr. Murphy was drawn to work at Memorial Hospital because of its location, size and the opportunity to practice family medicine. “This group and this environment here is made for family medicine,” he says of the primary care team at Memorial.
As a primary care physician, Dr. Murphy values preventative care and wellness for his patients. He is also skilled in chronic disease management. His goal is to keep patients happy and heathy for the long term. In his free time, Dr. Murphy enjoys taking advantage of all that the area has to offer, including fishing, boating and hiking with his wife and two children.
“I am very excited to be at Memorial Hospital and eager to get involved in the community. I love being back in a small town.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Murphy call 603-356-5472. Already a Memorial Hospital patient? Request an appointment through your MyChart account.
###
About Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in North Conway, NH, and is a member of the MaineHealth family. Its hospital services include a 24-hour emergency department, surgery center, clinical laboratory, heart health & wellness programs, imaging services, cardiopulmonary care, family birthing center, oncology, chemotherapy and infusion services. Practices include primary care and family medicine, diabetes care, behavioral health, women's health, podiatry, orthopedics and physical therapy. Memorial Hospital is also home to The Merriman House nursing home, which provides senior care services in a comfortable, home-like setting. For more information, www.memorialhospitalnh.org or call 603-356-5461.