Dr Jeannie Ellis… “Women have a specific set of challenges that the other 50 per cent of the population don’t have, and I think women need a safe space to be able to talk to other women.”

Dr Jeannie Ellis is championing women’s health and wellbeing at her Queanbeyan facility Queenbee Women’s Health.

“I’ve worked overseas in indigenous communities in far Northern Canada, worked in the Solomon Islands, worked in the Kimberley and I’ve done quite a bit of work in indigenous communities in Australia,” she says.

“But my homebase is in Queanbeyan, I’ve gone and I’ve come back again.”

With more than 30 years of experience in health as a primary care practitioner, Dr Ellis might be recognised from her work in emergency and obstetrics at Queanbeyan District Hospital, as well as her work at the Women’s Health Service in Canberra.

Running an all female team, she is the only doctor in residence at the moment, although she hopes to employ more female doctors to allow the practice to open five days a week.

Specialising in menstrual problems, contraceptive choices, PCOS and endometriosis, pelvic pain, miscarriage management, pregnancy choices, ultrasounds, fertility and pre-conception, antenatal care, menopausal concerns and issues, health checks, migraines and iron transfusions, Dr Ellis said Queenbee has been a dream for the past 10 years.

“We’re all working until we are 65-70 and want to be healthy and enjoy our lives while looking after ourselves, our families, our dogs, whoever it is that we’re caring for,” she says.

“We’re taking a holistic approach to health.”

“Being in the clinic is more than just going to get an illness fixed,” she says.

“It’s about what we can work on together. It’s a journey to better health.”

The name of the practice is a play on words of their location, although Dr Ellis says it’s also a nice homage to springtime, flowers and wellbeing.

“I want women to feel like they’re the queen bee when coming into the clinic, knowing they’re going to get a great service that will look after them and their needs,” she says.

Painted a calming gold with a continued theme of bees throughout the practice, Dr Ellis says it was important that the clinic felt welcoming.

“I think that women, particularly when talking about their sexual and reproductive health, and when they require intimate examinations and details about their intimate life, find it more comfortable when a clinic doesn’t look like a sterile hospital or a typical doctor’s office,” she says.

“Even while they may feel a little anxious about seeing a new doctor, they’re sitting in the waiting room of something that doesn’t look like a hospital.”

In Queenbee, patients won’t find notices about flu vaxes and serious health conditions. Instead, they’ll find artwork on the walls, air diffusers and classical music.

“I’m passionate about women feeling comfortable in a safe environment and having a really good women’s health care service to address issues such as pregnancy, menopause and fertility,” she says.

“Women have a specific set of challenges that the other 50 per cent of the population don’t have, and I think women need a safe space to be able to talk to other women.”

Queenbee opened up its services to patients in January, although Dr Ellis wishes she’d jumped on to her dream clinic 10 years earlier.

“I love having my own clinic and setting it up the way that I want to make women feel comfortable,” she says.

Dr Ellis provides long consultations, not limiting appointments to a single issue.

“It’s the first time that many women have ever felt heard,” she says.

“It’s usually at least one hour and you get the chance to do a really comprehensive review of the women to learn about their life, their lifestyle, who they live with, what they’re doing, other issues and how all of this impacts their health.”

Dr Ellis says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is coming to the end of a consultation and being told that her patient finally felt seen and heard.

“I want women who are from all walks of life to feel comfortable to come in and seek help,” she says.

“This could be from women who are born and bred in Australia, first or second-generation immigrants and refugees.

“I want people to know that I am catering to cultural and linguistic differences in healthcare.”

Dr Ellis is a fluent Spanish speaker.

“I want our patients to know that it is a journey to better health,” she says.

Having travelled the globe, Dr Ellis says she’s found the perfect place to settle down.

“I love living here and I love the community,” she says.

“I have patients from all over Canberra, Bungendore and Queanbeyan.”

Challenging healthcare’s typical “one appointment, one problem” system, Dr Ellis says there’s no such thing as a problem too small.

On her website, she has been incorporating information about various health issues from reputable resources for patients to read.

“It’s all about education,” she says.

“It can be hard to disseminate what’s false information about health on the internet, so I’m doing my part to provide knowledge for anyone to access.”

Queenbee Women’s Health. 69-71 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Visit queenbeewomenshealth.com