Meet the Maven Practitioners: Judith Shannon Lynch

At Maven, the digital clinic for women, our goal is to give women everywhere instant and affordable access to exceptional healthcare practitioners. We’re more than a little proud of our team — after all, our practitioners are the ones who make Maven what it is, and save you from waiting in a doctor’s office, using a search engine to diagnose a mysterious symptom, or worrying that you can’t afford quality, personalized healthcare.

So each week, we’re going to make an introduction. Get to know the Maven Practitioners who inspire us, and learn more about why they do the most important work of all: taking care of you.

Judith Shannon Lynch, Nurse Practitioner

Judith Shannon Lynch has been a nurse practitioner since the mid-1970s, and is a charter member of the Fellowship of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She holds a clinical position as a specialist in otolaryngology and allergies, and currently serves as a clinical assistant professor of nursing at Yale University. Additionally, she has taught at Quinnipiac and Binghamton universities, and was the founder of the family nurse practitioner program at Sacred Heart University.

Why did you decide to become a nurse practitioner?

I previously worked as a public health nurse, and I longed to be in a setting that gave me greater autonomy to care for my patients. I entered the first NP program at Binghamton University in New York, and was taught only by physicians. Over the next 13 years, I taught in a family medicine residency program and practiced at a methadone treatment program, a county jail, and Planned Parenthood.

Your work includes a focus on ear/nose/throat and allergy issues. How did you come to be interested in that specific area?

My academic career has always been practice-oriented. I’ve taught at Binghamton and Yale universities and founded the family nurse practitioner program at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. I always had a clinical practice in family health, but decided that I wanted to try a specialty. In the mid-1990s, I joined an ENT practice and soon learned that what I thought would be an easy transition was in fact a job with a steep learning curve. I came to love establishing a medical practice in a surgical office and have spoken internationally on the success of this interdisciplinary endeavor.

How do you think a telehealth platform like Maven can expand the scope of care offered by nurse practitioners — and how can patients benefit?

I’m pleased to join the Maven team, as I see digitally based practice as the next step in providing accessible and comprehensive care to our patients. NPs can easily use this platform: health promotion and disease prevention form the base of our practice, and Maven will quickly help patients cope with their health problems in the context of their individual lives.

Maven, the digital clinic for women, is a network of health practitioners who deliver video appointments via mobile device. Interested in becoming a Maven Practitioner? Request an invitation.