Her Story
About Anya
Anya Ustupkina is a medical device sales professional based in Alabama, specializing in respiratory care. Driven by a desire to improve people's quality of life, she made a career change into healthcare after working in business development. By building strong clinical partnerships and connecting providers with valuable resources, she helps improve patient outcomes. Beyond her professional work, Anya is passionate about promoting mental and emotional well-being, believing that true quality of life extends far beyond medicine.
She currently serves as a Medical Device Sales Representative with Lincare, where she partners with physicians to improve access to respiratory devices that enhance patients' independence, health, and daily living.
Previously, Anya served as the first Physician Liaison for Pediatric Ear, Nose & Throat of Atlanta (PENTA), a women-owned pediatric specialty practice. Working alongside Full Circle PR, a women-owned healthcare marketing firm, she developed physician partnerships, expanded referral networks, and contributed to significant patient growth across the Atlanta market through relationship-driven outreach and strategic collaboration.
Born in Russia and raised in Alabama after immigrating to the United States at the age of ten, Anya's professional journey has been shaped by adaptability, perseverance, and a commitment to lifelong learning. She began working before college, advancing into leadership positions early in her career before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Mobile, along with minors in English and French.
After graduation, she built her career in business development, leadership, and client relations, where she developed a strong foundation in strategic growth, communication, and relationship management.
In 2021, Anya became a career changer, transitioning into healthcare with a desire to improve people's quality of life. While completing post-baccalaureate studies in biology and pre-medicine at Georgia Gwinnett College, she simultaneously worked as an emergency department medical scribe, volunteered at an inpatient addiction rehabilitation center, and provided psychiatric scribing support. These experiences offered a firsthand understanding of both the clinical and human dimensions of medicine, reinforcing her long-standing interest in mental health and patient well-being.
Today, Anya combines her background in business strategy and clinical healthcare with a communication-centered approach to serving physicians, healthcare organizations, and patients. Whether supporting providers through medical technology or strengthening relationships across the healthcare community, her work is guided by the belief that meaningful communication ultimately leads to better care and better outcomes.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Anya is an amateur writer and a mental health advocate. She is developing educational content focused on emotional well-being, healthy relationships, resilience, and personal growth, with the long-term goal of expanding into public speaking and authorship. Her work reflects a commitment to making conversations about mental health more accessible, practical, and grounded, while helping others build healthier, more fulfilling lives.
As her career continues to evolve, Anya remains dedicated to advancing healthcare, strengthening human connection, and improving quality of life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a willingness to keep learning and the ability to adapt when life changes. I've learned that success is rarely about having the perfect plan; it's about showing up consistently. I've told myself over the years, "Just show up. You can always leave if you want after five minutes, but you'll never experience the opportunities you didn't have the courage to attend."
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the most impactful pieces of career advice I received came from a college professor. He encouraged us to spend $50–$100 taking someone to lunch who is already in the role we hope to be in now or five to ten years from now. The goal was simple: learn directly from the person who has already walked the path. He pointed out that many students spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on an education, yet hesitate to spend $100 on a lunch to have a conversation with someone they aspire to become professionally. That lesson changed the way I think about mentorship.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make sure you don't want to be a doctor first. Healthcare is an incredibly rewarding field that attracts compassionate, driven people. Many enter the industry only to realize later that they actually want to become physicians, which can mean starting a long educational journey after already investing years in another career path. I started my healthcare journey pursuing medicine, and once I realized becoming a physician wasn't the right fit for me, it became much easier to see where I truly belonged, where I could thrive, and where I would be happiest.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in healthcare is using technology to improve patient care while preserving the human connection. Artificial intelligence, data analytics, and innovative medical devices are helping clinicians diagnose conditions earlier, personalize treatment, and improve outcomes. At the same time, one of our greatest challenges is ensuring that technology enhances (not replaces) the relationships between healthcare professionals and the people they serve. The future of healthcare will belong to those who can combine innovation with empathy.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Improving people's quality of life is important to me, both in my work and in my personal life. Deeper professionally, success is important to me, but I define success differently. To me, success is learning something from failure—which is success in itself—or simply being better than I was yesterday. Deeper personally, God is crucial to my life. I am thankful to Him for all that I have, and even more thankful to Him for what I do not have.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.