Dr. Elizabeth Poynor is a gynecologic oncologist, an advanced pelvic surgeon, and an expert in midlife women’s health. To investigate all manner of women’s health issues, she blends her background in complex surgical and medical issues with a holistic approach that incorporates leading-edge science and integrative medicine.
Dr. Poynor knew from a young age that she wanted to be a surgeon, and after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Princeton University, she earned her Medical Degree from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She soon realized she wanted to provide comprehensive care for patients beyond the operating room, which led her to focus on gynecological oncology, where she often served as her patients’ primary doctor, following them through the entire course of their diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Poynor completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and then a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
After her training, Dr. Poynor stayed on the surgical attending team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering for 11 years, developing intense bonds with her patients. She saw the many gaps in the health care system for women, she says, and how siloed care can lead to overlooked problems and piecemeal treatments. During this time, Dr. Poynor also earned a PhD in cell biology and genetics from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.
Fueled by a desire to keep learning about new approaches and to work on the frontlines of women’s health with her patients, she opened her private practice in New York in 2006. “As physicians, we have a responsibility to provide our patients with answers or to help them get answers,” she says. “We don’t just say we don’t have the answer. We have an obligation to you to get the answer for you so that we can be outcomes-driven.”
As she searched for answers to her patients’ health challenges, Dr. Poynor saw the crucial role that hormones play in overall well-being and developed a special interest in helping women manage menopause, aging, and gynecological issues such as endometriosis, PCOS, PMS/PMDD, fibroids, and pelvic floor dysfunction. “Unless you look at the whole picture, you can’t get to the crux of the problem,” she says. “Looking at women’s health through a hormonal lens allows you to look at the entire body and the physiology of a woman.”
Dr. Poynor complements her use of traditional methods with integrative therapies and more natural approaches. “For many issues with women’s wellness and health, nutrition, exercise, and stress management are very important,” Dr. Poynor says. She enjoys collaborating with experts in integrative medicine to give her patients access to the full spectrum of treatments. “You have to be curious and have to move forward to be able to help people,” she says.
At Atria, Dr. Poynor pulls together all of her experiences to direct a comprehensive Women’s Health Program that employs allopathic medicine as well as integrative approaches and longevity analyses to deliver precise, preventive care.
“Women need coordinated care that looks at their physiology as a whole,” Dr. Poynor says. Especially as women reach their midlife period, she believes it is key that gynecological care is incorporated into a holistic treatment plan that addresses everything from heart and brain health to bone and metabolic health. “The idea that under one entity you can speak with a cardiologist, a neurologist, a longevity expert, a naturopathic expert, a nutritionist—this exists nowhere else in the world,” Dr. Poynor says. “We are putting all the pillars of health together in one cohesive set of guidance. There’s nothing better.”
Dr. Poynor is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University and on the voluntary faculty at NYU Langone Medical Center and Lenox Hill Hospital, where she was the first gynecologic surgeon to employ robotic surgery. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and watching the New York Rangers.
Credentials
- Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and GynecologyNew York University
- Voluntary AttendingNYU Langone Medical Center
- Voluntary AttendingLenox Hill Hospital
- Founder and Former PrincipalElizabeth Poyner MD private practice
- Former Assistant Attending SurgeonMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- Former Director of Translational ResearchMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Awards
- Castle Connolly Top Doctors New York Metro Area 2007-2023
- New York Magazine’s Best Doctors 2009-2023
- Castle Connolly Exceptional Women in Medicine 2019-2024
Affiliations
- MemberMedical Society State of New York
- MemberNew York County Medical Society
- MemberSociety of Gynecologic Oncologists
- MemberAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology
- FellowAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- MemberNorth American Menopause Society
- Medical Advisory BoardSharsheret
- Scientific Advisory Board MemberTEAL
- Medical Advisory Board MemberIn Kind Space
- Medical Advisory Board MemberElektra Health
- Health Advisory Board MemberForbes