Gifford Welcomes Dr. Lucy Merriam to Pediatrics

RANDOLPH, Vt.— Gifford Health Care is pleased to welcome Lucy Merriam, MD, to its Pediatrics team, where she will provide primary care for children from birth through adolescence.

A native Vermonter who grew up in Elmore, Dr. Merriam earned both her medical degree and bachelor’s degree in exercise and movement science from the University of Vermont. She completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Virginia, where she also participated in a primary care track focused on community outreach, advocacy, mental health, and other aspects of pediatric primary care.

Dr. Merriam initially considered family medicine but found herself drawn to pediatrics during medical school, particularly because of the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with children and their families and to emphasize preventive care.

“I always wanted to do primary care because of the longitudinal relationships and getting to know people and their families over time,” Merriam said. “In pediatrics, there is so much opportunity to focus on preventive medicine and help keep people from getting sick.”

Her clinical interests span all stages of childhood. She particularly enjoys caring for newborns and helping new parents navigate the transition into parenthood, as well as working with adolescents as they develop greater independence and begin taking ownership of their health. During residency, she also developed an interest in supporting young people navigating behavioral health concerns, including anxiety. Her additional training has included pediatric behavioral health, breastfeeding medicine, office-based procedures, and management of complex care equipment.

Central to Merriam’s approach is listening closely to both children and their caregivers.

“As medical providers, we can be the experts in the medical literature, but our patients are the experts on their bodies,” she said. “Parents know their kids better than I can know them, and adolescents know themselves and their bodies. A lot of it is really listening and building that relationship.”

Merriam said Gifford’s strong connection to the communities it serves was an important factor in choosing to practice here.

“I think what’s really special about Gifford, and one of the things that drew me to it, was feeling like you were part of the community where you were working,” she said. “The choices and decisions that are made are really focused on how we can benefit the community we’re in.”

Returning to Vermont also brings Merriam back to the place and communities that shaped her. Growing up in Elmore, she became an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast, interests that remain an important part of her life. Her résumé also reflects a longstanding commitment to community engagement, including work addressing food insecurity, public health, and health education.

“There are so many beautiful places in the country where you can live and have access to the outdoors, but I think the communities in Vermont are really unique and special in how they look out for each other and take care of each other,” Merriam said.

Outside of work, Merriam enjoys skiing, hiking, running, gravel biking, paddle boarding, and spending time outdoors.

For more information about Gifford Health Care, please visit www.giffordhealthcare.org

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About Gifford Health Care: Gifford Health Care is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester, and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford has earned both a 5-star Overall Hospital Quality Rating and a 5-star Patient Survey Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — the highest recognition possible in both categories. Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit, many surgical services, daycare, an adult day program, and a 30-bed nursing home. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries and remains a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. As a community health center and medical home, Gifford’s mission is to improve and manage the health of the people we serve by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care, and by promoting the health and well-being of everyone in our service area.