Alexandra Melnyk, M.D., M.Ed.
Urogynecologist
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
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Dr. Alexandra Melnyk is a urogynecologist at the Cleveland Clinic. She completed both her OBGYN residency training and her Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She started a Greening the Urogynecology Operating Room initiative at her institution. She is a Co-Founder of the group OBGYNs For a Sustainable Future. She also co-leads the Sustainability Special Interest group in the American Urogynecologic Society. She has published several papers in this field and she has presented on sustainability at national conferences including the American Urogynecologic Society, Society for Gynecologic Surgeons, CleanMed, and American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. She won the Stephanie Davis Waste Reduction Award and Scholarship to attend CleanMed in 2022. In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of the urogynecology division at her institution, she hopes to bring health care sustainability as an issue to the front and center of the greater OBGYN community.
Follow her on Twitter: @dralimelnyk
Jane van Dis, M.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Rochester​
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Jane van Dis, MD is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the U of Rochester in NY where she is faculty in the newly created Institute for Human Health and the Environment. She is a Co-Founder of OBGYNs For Sustainability, Co-Founder of Equity Quotient a consultancy for equity analytics. She was recently the Medical Director of MavenClinic. Dr. van Dis admins the non-profit OB Mom Group – a group of 6100+ women ObGyns. She advises multiple healthcare startups (Modern Fertility, Bobbie, FLEX, Aura, Biorithm ,Béa, Levy and OathCare). She was a lead at the FemTech Fund II at Portfolia and is a frequent judge of FemTech grants and awards. Dr. van Dis is a national speaker on equity in healthcare, and now also speaks on the effects of fossil fuels on maternal/fetal health and how OBGYNs can join in the decarbonization of healthcare. She is a single mom to twins.
Follow her on Twitter @janevandis.
About The Founders
Savita Potarazu, MD MPH
Obstetrics & Gynecology Resident
George Washington University
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Dr. Savita Potarazu is a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology at The George Washington University. Originally from Potomac, MD, she completed her undergraduate studies, medical school, and a Master’s in Public Health at The George Washington University. From 2021 to 2023, she served as the executive chair for Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (MS4SF) and as a Next Generation Climate Ambassador with Physicians for Social Responsibility during this time. Prior to her term as executive chair with MS4SF, she served as one of the co-chairs for Climate Smart Health Care for MS4SF. In April 2023, Savita was named Climate Champion with the Medical Society Consortium for Climate and Health. From 2020-2023, Savita co-led the development of a four-year climate change and human health curriculum theme at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Now she is active in the development and implementation of this curriculum in her medical school. Her work focuses on enhancing climate and health education initiatives in OBGYN to advocate for reproductive and environmental justice in her community. Promoting both adaptation and mitigation to climate change from a reproductive health perspective, she conducted research in waste mitigation in outpatient Urogynecology that was presented at the Society for Gynecologic Surgeons 50th Annual Meeting in March 2024. She is also currently leading a patient-facing health education campaign to enhance risk perception and self-efficacy of pregnant individuals to reduce extreme heat exposure. Savita has been featured in Stat News, MindBodyGreen, and WUSA9 for her work in the climate and health space. In her free time, Savita enjoys building her home pottery studio, hand-knitting blankets, and photography.
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