A Super Doctors Rising Star, Dr. Poppy Addison brings new energy to Staten Island University Hospital’s nationally recognized colorectal surgery program, combining surgical expertise, empathy, and enthusiasm to help patients feel informed, supported, and empowered in their care

BY AMANDA MCCOY
PHOTOS BY AMESSE PHOTOGRAPHY

Despite being one of the most essential areas of medicine, colorectal health remains shrouded in stigma and silence. Conditions affecting the colon, rectum, and pelvic floor are highly common (particularly among women), yet many patients hesitate to seek care, often delaying treatment until symptoms become severe. At Staten Island University Hospital, Poppy Addison, MD, a double board-certified colon and rectal surgeon, is working to change that narrative through a combination of expert surgical care and a deeply patient-centered approach.

Dr. Addison joined SIUH as a faculty surgeon in November 2024, and though the San Diego native grew up under the California sun, returning to Northwell Health felt like a professional homecoming. A Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine graduate, Dr. Addison completed her residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan before traveling to Rochester, Minnesota, for specialized training at the Mayo Clinic, where she completed a one-year fellowship in colon and rectal surgery.

“Moving to the East Coast was a leap-of-faith moment for me, but I knew right away that I had found my people,” noted Dr. Addison, who currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, a born-and-raised New Yorker. “As a resident at Lenox Hill, I loved the way Northwell operated and set their surgeons up for success. I went away for fellowship but knew I wanted to come back to New York and find a place within Northwell. At SIUH, I found a sense of community. The support from the faculty and medical staff has been tremendous.”

“I went away for fellowship but knew I wanted to come back to New York and find a place within Northwell. At SIUH, I found a sense of community. The support from the faculty and medical staff has been tremendous.”

As a med student, Dr. Addison considered general surgery to be her guiding star, and what drew her to the colorectal specialty was its unique combination of complexity, variety, and innovation. Today, practicing alongside Giovanni Bonomo, MD, director of colorectal surgery at SIUH—and whom Dr. Addison credits as an “excellent mentor” to her—Dr. Addison offers Staten Island patients the full scope of colorectal surgical care, from cancers of the colon and rectum to complex anorectal conditions.

Compassion is a cornerstone of Dr. Addison’s practice. She takes a holistic, people-centered approach to care, ensuring every patient she sees is armed with all the information they need to make a thoughtful, informed decision about their health journey.

“A common misconception is that just because you are going to see a surgeon doesn’t mean you have to move forward with surgery,” she explained. “We are disease experts. There are steps we can take to avoid surgery for many conditions. I have a nuanced, two-way conversation with every patient to explain in detail all their options, what they can expect from each, and answer any questions. I empower my patients to guide the conversation so they are never pushed into anything. The healthcare system is already difficult for the patient to navigate. I want to make it as easy as possible. The relief on a patient’s face when I say, ‘Let’s figure this out together,’ is incredibly gratifying.”

Dr. Addison has a special interest in treating patient populations whose unique colorectal needs are still underrepresented in clinical research, including women and the LGBTQ community.

“For many women with a colorectal condition like fecal incontinence or hemorrhoids, they appreciate seeing a female surgeon whom they can connect with,” Dr. Addison said. “Women’s colorectal health remains an under-researched area. For example, large portions of medical textbooks are dedicated to cancer, but there’s maybe a single chapter on pelvic organ prolapse. We see patients who are suffering and, in the past, we didn’t have a lot of answers for them. This is an area of focus so we can offer these women evidence-based care. There’s a massive need for enthusiastic young physicians to get involved in research right now.”

Dr. Addison is involved in several other research initiatives as well, including artificial intelligence and computer vision in surgery, early onset colorectal cancers in patients under 45 years old, and ways to minimize the length of hospital stays following surgery.

“We know that the best place for patient recovery is in their own environment, as opposed to the hospital where it can be difficult to sleep, rest, etc.,” Dr. Addison noted. “At SIUH, we’ve been putting a lot of resources into standardizing recovery protocols so we can get patients back to their daily lives faster.”

Less than two years into her appointment with SIUH, Dr. Addison is already receiving national recognition in the medical community. A Super Doctors Rising Star, she was recently named a Surgeon of Excellence in Colorectal Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent group that thoroughly and rigorously evaluates the quality of surgical programs.

“It’s a very comprehensive evaluation process that reviews every aspect of the patient experience,” she explained. “The SRC also recognized our program as a Center of Excellence in Colorectal Surgery, which is exciting because we want to show the Staten Island community how committed we are to providing excellent care.”

Today, as a faculty surgeon, Dr. Addison is paying forward the mentorship she received throughout her years as a student and trainee. She is actively involved in several mentoring initiatives, including a committee with the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons that encourages residents to explore colorectal surgery as a specialty, as well as a Women in Surgery subgroup at SIUH.

“In this group of female staff surgeons, we invite trainees out in an informal, non-hospital setting to check in with them. Balancing work and a personal life can be stressful, so we ask what we can do in the hospital to make it easier for women to stay in these programs and graduate.”

Through compassionate, thoughtful care, Dr. Addison is setting the stage for the next generation of physicians on Staten Island.

Staten Island University Hospital
siuh.northwell.edu/surgery/colon-rectal-surgery