We sat down with QUFW’s Lyn Stephens to learn more about her role at QUFW’s Ipswich clinic, her passion for obstetric and gynaecology patient care, and more.
Lyn is the clinic coordinator at QUFW’s Ipswich rooms, where she manages the clinic’s operations and, most importantly, makes patients feel right at home.
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Team Member #1
Lyn’s inspiring story as a QUFW ‘lifer’ is a testament to both her commitment to patient care and the ‘people-first’ culture QUFW brings to its community.
Lyn’s career with QUFW began almost twenty years ago as one of its founding team members. She’s now the clinic coordinator of QUFW’s Ipswich rooms, where she manages patient appointments, stock control, and oversees the team.
However, where Lyn really shines is her passion for patient care.
“I love building rapport with our patients, especially the ones that come back,” she says.
Patient care is important to Lyn during the good times. However, she stresses its importance during times of uncertainty or adversity.
Lyn recalls an emotional story of a patient who had suffered multiple miscarriages and needed weekly scans for reassurance that her baby was OK.
“A lovely patient was coming for multiple ultrasounds, because she’d had about a dozen miscarriages and could not get her head around the fact that she was actually pregnant this time,” Lyn explains.
“She needed weekly reassurance that her baby was okay.”
Thankfully, the patient delivered a healthy baby boy, and she brought him into the clinic to meet Lyn and the team.
“It’s such a lovely ending to her story, which was worrying at times.”
“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.”
Such cases allow Lyn to connect deeply with patients, providing them not just medical support but also emotional comfort.
“Because the waiting room is quite small, you get to chat with them and talk about their journey,” she explains.
“It’s quite emotional sometimes.”
“And it’s lovely that you end up being quite good mates with them.”
This personal connection extends to Lyn’s rapport with her colleagues. She describes the workplace at Ipswich as having a supportive and friendly atmosphere, where she and her teammates love working together and often socialise outside of clinic hours.
“I love working with the team at Ipswich.”
“My colleagues, all of the girls, are great.”
“We have a close relationship here.”
Lyn’s Origin Story
Lyn’s professional journey is a wonderful narrative of transition and growth within the healthcare sector, beginning unexpectedly from her days as a café owner.
Her entry into the medical field was sparked by a fortuitous connection with a colleague of QUFW co-owner Assoc. Prof Rob. Cincotta, who frequented Lyn’s coffee shop in Wickham Terrace.
After selling her café and searching for a new opportunity, Lyn was offered a position as a secretary for Assoc. Prof Rob. Cincotta, who, at the time, was about to establish his own obstetric practice.
And so, in 2005, Lyn began her career with Rob’s practice on the same day the business commenced, marking the beginning of what would become a two-decade-long tenure.
“The day that the business started in 2005 is the day that I started with the company,” Lyn explains.
This period was significant for both Lyn’s career and the expansion of the practice. Initially located in Spring Hill, close to her former coffee shop, QUFW eventually outgrew its original premises.
After nine years, it relocated to Little Edward Street to accommodate further growth.
In 2022, Lyn transitioned to a management role in the newly established Ipswich rooms. The new location not only meant a shorter commute but also represented significant growth in Lyn’s career.
“Here was our challenge to build up our new practice and make it as successful as the other QUFW locations,” she reflects.
On Industry Developments
When reflecting on industry changes, Lyn instead explores what has remained consistent at QUFW.
“One thing that hasn’t changed in almost 20 years is the level of care for our patients,” she says.
“That has always been the same from day one and I am proud to be part of a company that will always explain, offer guidance and give reassurance to our patients.”
Lyn also explains how advancements in technology have reshaped the clinic’s operations for the better, particularly via an app called “Tricefy,” which allows sonographers to send ultrasound images directly to patients’ mobile phones in real-time.
Reports are also sent to patients’ phones, streamlining the communication process and ensuring that patients receive information quickly and efficiently.
“Patients are getting their images straight away, and then once the report is done, that’s sent to their phone as well,” she explains.
Lyn also points out that traditional paper-based systems, such as patient referrals and medical records, have been replaced by digital alternatives.
Documents are now scanned and stored electronically, significantly reducing the need for physical storage. This shift has also facilitated better data management practices, including improved cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient information.
“The programs that we use now are far more efficient,” she explains.
“We now have in-built SMS messaging, custom task templates, more efficient banking reports and the fact that it is cloud based means we can access it from anywhere.”
Career Challenges
Throughout her extensive career at QUFW, Lyn has encountered numerous challenges, the most significant being the moments when she has had to support patients through devastating news, such as miscarriages or the detection of abnormalities during pregnancy scans.
These experiences are the most difficult aspects of her job, requiring a delicate balance of empathy and professionalism.
“That would have to be the most challenging part, trying to help patients when they’ve just received that really bad news.”
“During this time, it helps to have the support of people who care, and who listen to and empathise with them.”
While Lyn helps patients process their bad news, she must also help them understand the next steps in their clinical journey. This often includes explaining procedural details and associated costs, a task made harder by the patients’ emotional distress.
She describes the complexity of delivering practical information—such as detailing the costs of necessary follow-up procedures like Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis—at a time when patients are least receptive to such details.
“So the doctor and the sonographers do a great job at handling the clinical side of things,” she explains.
“And then I just have to be as gentle and as kind as possible in the next five minutes that they’re in the rooms, and then carefully explain to them the details of what will happen next”.
This delicate balancing act of empathy and efficiency exemplifies an important ‘human’ element in healthcare, making Lyn a cherished member of the QUFW team.
Personal Passions
Beyond her professional life, Lyn discusses how she recharges and maintains her well-being. With nearly ten grandchildren, family is a central part of her life.
Her hobbies include cake decorating—a skill she lovingly applies to making birthday cakes for her grandchildren—cooking, gardening, and maintaining an active lifestyle through regular gym visits.
“I do enjoy cake icing. I have just finished a Taylor Swift cake for my 7-year-old,,” she says with a chuckle.
“And with ‘approaching’ 10 grandchildren I am getting lots of practice.”
Lyn pauses to reflect on her love for camping.
“My husband Peter and I enjoy camping, we have been to some amazing locations in Australia and have lots of plans to venture to many more locations together in the future.”
“I also enjoy cooking, so I get to experiment on lots of recipes when we are out camping as well as at home.”
As we wrap up our chat, it’s obvious why Lyn is such a valued member of the QUFW team. Her story highlights the essential human connection at the heart of healthcare, an important value that, through the dedication of team members like Lyn, QUFW brings to every one of its patients.
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November 2024
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