Our Mission and Impact
About APOPS
Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support is a USA-based nonprofit women’s health advocacy agency founded in September 2010. APOPS
supports women navigating the stigma and symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, while leading the global charge to advance POP understanding and patient outcomes.
Mission
APOPS mission is to amplify pelvic organ prolapse awareness, to listen to and acknowledge patient voice, to destigmatize vaginal health, to encourage and optimize women’s health empowerment, and to clarify and quantify POP quality of life impacts.
Vision
APOPS vision is a world in which pelvic organ prolapse awareness and screening are standardized aspects of women's pelvic wellness checks, and stigma has been eradicated from vaginal health.
Goals
Our goals include increasing awareness, supporting women worldwide, and bridging with stakeholders to evolve POP treatment.
APOPS strives towards inclusion of standardized POP screening, accurate statistical data capture, and advancement of POP curriculum for diagnostic clinicians.
Break the Silence. End the Stigma
Break the Silence. End the Stigma
Driving the Next Revolution In Women’s Health
Pelvic organ prolapse isn’t a rare condition, it’s a global women’s health pandemic. Despite 50% prevalence and nearly 4,000 years of medical documentation, POP screening falls short around the world. Millions of women suffer in silence.
Pelvic organ prolapse awareness will only occur when we encourage women to share their stories — and listen to them. APOPS provides a supportive platform for woman-to-woman POP conversation.
“It changes everything to know you aren’t alone.”
- Sheree DiBiase
Our Impact
APOPS supports women of all ages, teens through end-of-life, in 184 of 195 countries. Our website and forum serve as knowledge-sharing resources where women can get their POP questions answered, share their stories, and empower themselves with information.
Our Founder
Like most women, Sherrie Palm first learned about pelvic organ prolapse the day she was diagnosed. She quickly recognized POP as the biggest secret in women’s health. After writing Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic, she founded APOPS to share information about the condition and support women on a global scale.
“As the only global nonprofit association that is totally dedicated to pelvic organ prolapse, APOPS has been a wealth of information and support for me.”
- Bronwyn Ford
Board of Directors
Sherrie Palm
APOPS Founder and CEO
-
Like most women, Sherrie Palm was a member of the "discovery upon diagnosis" demographic. She recognized within two weeks of her diagnosis that pelvic organ prolapse was the biggest secret in women's health, and that millions of other women were suffering in silence. Sherrie's journey began when she wrote the book Pelvic Organ Prolapse:The Silent Epidemic, and shortly after the publication of the 1st Edition, founded APOPS, a grassroots movement to increase POP awareness and provide guidance and support to women navigating the condition.
Mary Pippen
Emeritus Director
-
Mary Pippen was diagnosed with POP in 2014 and joined APOPS Facebook Support Forum. After two surgeries, Mary gained a passion for APOPS mission, and joined the APOPS Support Forum Administrative team, assisting with patient guidance and participating in APOPS initiatives. She became a director on APOPS board, and remains actively engaged in APOPS vision, mission, and program development. Her prior experience within the Veteran’s Administration Volunteer Event Management team provided a valuable training ground to evolve APOPS projects and programs.
Alesa Arnett
Director of Fitness and Military Protocol
-
Alesa Arnett attributes the onset of her POP to years of military physical fitness training, alongside a high-impact fitness boot camp. Her personal experience with prolapse led her to APOPS. Alesa is excited to collaborate with other women, shining a brighter light upon the APOPS mission, vision, and goals. After a 21-year career as a US Airforce medic, Alesa served in various clinical/leadership positions in both the US and Iraq. As a certified personal trainer and Women’s Coaching Specialist through the Girls Gone Strong Academy, Alesa has finally found joy in ‘retirement’ by both spending time with family and helping others as an American Legion Post Service Officer and facilitator.
Sheree DiBiase, PT
Director of Social Expansion
-
Sheree DiBiase is a motivational speaker with 40 years of experience as a women’s health physical therapist, patient advocate, educator, and facilitator of change for women’s life/work integration. Sheree works with patients, groups, and organizations to empower their personal and business health. Sheree is also the host of The FemTech Health Podcast.
Terry Walker
Director of Health Education, Board Secretary
-
With a strong background in human development, education, and administration, Terry Walker co-founded a school and managed operations. Terry is passionate about making a positive impact and has contributed significantly to non-profit and community-based programming. She thrives in roles that blend education, organization, and outreach, with intent to support meaningful initiatives.
Melissa Frasure, LISW
Director of Health, Human Service, and Policy
-
Melissa Frasure is an LCSW and a USAF veteran, having provided treatment and therapy to children, individuals, families, combat and sexual trauma survivors across federal and civilian sectors. She has also worked as a medical social worker with geriatric populations. After her 2017 POP diagnosis, APOPS was a crucial source of support for Melissa. Believing deeply in what APOPS does, she has served as a director on the APOPS board and assisted with various APOPS endeavors. Melissa hopes to use her experience as a clinician and an advocate to bring women’s pelvic health to the forefront of discussions.
-
Alexandra Pettet works in early drug development, applying machine learning and AI towards understanding genetic drivers of disease and developing novel therapeutics. She is a passionate advocate for advances in women’s health, providing patient voice at The Canadian Society of Pelvic Medicine Congress, AUGS/IUGA Annual Meeting, AUGS Patient Advisory Board in 2019-2020, and as a research analyst of patient-reported endometriosis data at Columbia University. As rapidly advancing technologies and data begin to revolutionize medical care, Alexandra wants to assure they find their way to women's health and bring game changing new solutions and hope to women suffering from pelvic floor conditions.
Alexandra Pettet, PhD
Director of Research Development
Medical Advisory Committee
APOPS would like to thank the urogynecologists, gynecologists, and urologists who support us in amplifying awareness and understanding of this cryptic, common condition.
Dr. Roger R. Dmochowski
MD, MMHC, FACS, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
Dr. Dmochowski is a Professor at the Department of Urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Director of the Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and supervisor of the Fellowship in Pelvic Medicine at Vanderbilt. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor in Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland and chairs multiple additional positions within the Vanderbilt Health System.
Dr. S. Abbas Shobieri
MD, MBA, FACOG, FACS, CMPE, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
Dr. Shobeiri is a gynecologic surgeon board certified in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He is an expert in management of obstetric perineal and pelvic floor injury, 3D ultrasound imaging of pelvic floor, management of vaginal agenesis or stenosis, ultrasound imaging and management of vaginal mesh. His work in pelvic floor imaging and complex pelvic floor repair draws patients nationally and internationally.
Dr. Hugo H. Davilla
MD, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
Dr. Davila is a board-certified urologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Florida State University, College of Medicine. Currently practicing at Florida Healthcare Specialists and Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, his investigations include the evaluation of robotic surgical techniques and intraoperative imaging for the correction of pelvic organ prolapse.
Dr. Hichem Bensmail
MD, MMHC, FACS, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
Dr. Hichem Bensmail is a globally-distinguished obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in France and Dubai. He specializes in both aesthetic and cosmetic gynecologic surgery and urogynecology. Dr Bensmail practices in both France and Dubai.
Dr. Stephanie Molden
MD, FACOG, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
As the Director of Medicine at the Female Pelvic Health Center, Dr. Molden is a pioneer in Urogynecology and Female Cosmetic Gynecology. A lecturer, noted researcher, and leading educator on urogynecologic procedures, Dr. Molden is a proctor to an international list of surgeons.
Dr. Michael Goodman
MD, FACOG, IF, AAACS
-
Dr. Goodman is a world-renowned gynecologist, surgeon, teacher, and menopause expert, specializing for decades cosmetic gynecology. Presently limiting his practice to female genital reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, he provides innovative and integrative women’s healthcare.
Dr. Neeraj Kohli
MD, MBA, Urogynecology
and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
-
Neeraj Kohli, MD, MBA, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery is a nationally and internationally recognized surgeon and leader in the pelvic organ prolapse space, and serves as Medical Director of Boston Urogyn in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Dr. Kohli was recruited to develop the urogynecology program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where under his leadership the division became one of the most successful in the department. In 2010, he founded Boston Urogyn, a multidisciplinary pelvic floor center focused on advanced, minimally invasive care and personalized patient Experience.
An author of over 100 scientific publications and educational works, Dr. Kohli has helped develop many surgical protocols used worldwide. He is a co-inventor on two patents, including Cystosure and the Kohli Catheter, designed to reduce catheter-associated infections. His clinical interests include minimally invasive pelvic surgery and advanced technologies for prolapse, incontinence, and pelvic pain.
Innovation and Strategic Alignment Committee
Mavis Springer
Counsel, Strategic Engagement
-
Mavis Springer has been involved in healthcare since the age of 17. Mavis was unaware that her rectocele would be exacerbated as a result of heavy lifting. Her rectocele became symptomatic to the point her only option was surgery. Mavis’s recovery is still a work in progress. Throughout her professional life as a practice manager in healthcare, she also passionately promoted; daycare in the workplace, prenatal care, education, destigmatizing mental health and fundraising for gastrointestinal research. Her surgeon told her 50% of women suffer from pelvic organ prolapse, and many in silence due to lack of awareness. Commitment to POP awareness became her passion.
Patient Voice
-
Anyone who wants to understand the quality-of-life ramifications of a health condition should ask the patient. Lived-in experience is best clarified by those walk the walk. The physical ramifications. The emotional impacts. The social, sexual, and fitness consequences. The frustrating employment barriers.
Patient voice clarifies:
Misconceptions about health conditions.
Shortfalls in best practice.
Gaps within health systems.
Barriers to treatment access.
Unmet needs.Patients are policy revolutionists, societal influencers, system game-changers. APOPS loves and is thankful for the women we serve!
Women Clarify the POP Reality
Poulami Bhattacharya
-
Poulami Bhattacharya is a video producer and creative, blending her expertise in visual storytelling with a passion for women's health advocacy. Her journey began at age 21, when she first explored digital storytelling and discovered the power of visual communication. Poulami crafts compelling, accessible, and emotionally engaging multimedia content that supports APOPS’ mission to raise awareness and foster understanding of pelvic health issues across diverse communities.
Video Producer, Creative Storyteller
Support Our Mission
Help us advocate for the health of our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends.