Lives of Consequence
Dr. Timothy J. Ryan '72
Physician, Educator and Founder of Lifecare Medical Associates
When Taylor-Brown Hospital in Waterloo, N.Y., and the former Seneca Falls Hospital in Seneca Falls, N.Y., closed their doors almost overnight, Dr. Timothy J. Ryan ’72 stepped in to fill a critical void. In 1979, Ryan founded Lifecare Medical Associates with the guiding philosophy that patients deserve convenient and comprehensive health care. In the decades that followed, Ryan and Lifecare provided essential medical care and diagnostic testing to thousands of families in the central Finger Lakes region.
In 2015, Geneva-based Finger Lakes Health purchased Lifecare Medical Associates, combining a high-quality family medicine model with an expansive health care system to serve the residents of Seneca County and the surrounding area. After practicing in the Finger Lakes community for more than 40 years, Ryan retired from Lifecare in 2016. That year, he and Lifecare Medical Associates were honored for their service to the community as the Business of the Year by the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce.
An innovative teacher devoted to educating future health care professionals, Ryan is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine at both the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse and the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine. He is a charter preceptor for the SUNY Rural Medicine Education Program and founder of the annual Lifecare conference, which has provided continuing medical education for health professionals for more than two decades. He was honored for his efforts in 2005, when he was named New York State Family Practice Educator of the Year, the first time that this award was given to a community-based practicing physician. He is also a two-time recipient of the Upstate Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Clinical Teaching.
A Geneva native, Ryan earned his B.S. in biology magna cum laude from Hobart College, where he was one of the first recipients of the Geneva Scholarship Associates award. At HWS, he earned the Eaton-Cross Prize for excellence in biology and chemistry, and the Sutherland Prize for excellence in the classics. He was on the student Sesquicentennial Committee and the Committee on Honors. As a member of the Statesmen lacrosse team, he was honored with the Blazer Award.
Ryan went on to study at Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Minnesota, where he earned a medical degree. His family practice residency was completed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y. where he served as chief resident.
In addition to his work as a physician and educator, Ryan served as medical director for the Seneca County Department of Health and the Seneca Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility. He is the former chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Health system’s department of family medicine and the former president of the Seneca County Medical Society. He has been a diplomat of the American Academy of Family Physicians for more than 30 years and is a past member of the American Cancer Society.
Ryan served as president of the Geneva Scholarship Associates during its 20th anniversary and is a longtime supporter of the organization. In 2019, he established a new scholarship fund to support the education of a Hobart or William Smith student from Geneva.
A Rotarian since 1979, serving as president in 1991, Ryan was instrumental in implementing the first fire safety trailer in the Finger Lakes and the annual Rotary Health Fair, among other programs. He was recognized by Medical Economics for his contributions to the community and was honored by the Rotary Foundation as the Paul Harris Fellow for his efforts raising $20,000 to support “Polio Plus,” Rotary’s international effort to eliminate world polio. He has been listed among the top 100 most influential physicians in New York State.
When asked about his most significant achievement, Ryan said, “helping students across the medical spectrum to reach their career goals and eventually practice within the community.”