PHILADELPHIA -- Sister Rosemary Ryan, MMS, a long-time resident of Boston, recently became a member of the Medical Mission Sisters' new International Leadership Team in London. She will serve alongside her Community's Society Coordinator, a Medical Mission Sister from India, and other elected Team Members from Ghana, Indonesia and Peru. For many years, she served as a hospice medical director in Boston and surrounding towns.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Sister Rosemary entered the Medical Mission Sisters in 1964 after graduating from high school. After earning her M.D. in Philadelphia, she did her residency in internal medicine at Faulkner Hospital in Boston. While a resident, Sister Rosemary helped start a hospice program and soon realized her calling was to end-of-life care. She provided medical direction for the hospital's hospice program and directed outpatient training for medical residents at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Over the next 35 years, Sister Rosemary's responsibilities expanded as she served as medical director for several hospice programs and also for the VNA Care Network home health agency. Sister Rosemary has held several leadership positions within her religious community including Eastern District Coordinator and North American Sector Coordinator for Mission.

Founded in 1925 by Austrian-born Doctor Anna Dengel, the Medical Mission Sisters are the first Catholic sisters to combine the practice of medicine, surgery, and obstetrics with the religious life. There are over 500 sisters and 100 associate members today serving as a healing presence in 18 countries around the world.