From Passion to Purpose
What happens when passion, philanthropy, and medicine come together with one shared goal? A transformation in women's healthcare.
In this episode of HERology, Dr. Joanne Stone sits down with Carolyn Rowan—the visionary whose support helped bring the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness to life.
Joined by Drs. Anna Barbieri and Leslee Shaw, the conversation explores why women need more coordinated, personalized care throughout every stage of life, how thoughtful design can shape the healthcare experience, and why education and early intervention are changing the future of women's health.
From building healthier habits and reducing disease risk to finding purpose, confidence, and balance, this episode is filled with practical insights and inspiring reflections for women of every generation.
Joanne Stone: [00:00:00] What do you think you would tell your, I don't know, 20 or 30-year-old self that you know now?
Carolyn Rowan: Probably not to worry.
Joanne Stone: Mm.
Carolyn Rowan: I probably spent a lot of energy on worry, and I think we all know that, like, that's a future thought. And so getting your mind back to, how do I be here now?
Joanne Stone: Yeah. I like that. I like it a lot
Hello, and welcome back to Herology, the Mount Sinai Health System's new round table video podcast dedicated to women's health and wellness. I'm your host, Joanne Stone, an OBGYN here at the Mount Sinai Health System. On this episode, we discuss the opening of the Carolyn Rowan Women's Health Center. What inspired it?
Why is it so necessary? And what do women gain from having this kind of comprehensive care center at a place like Mount Sinai? To walk us through this incredible journey, we're joined by Carolyn Rowan herself, a renowned designer in her own right, and a trailblazer in philanthropy. We're also [00:01:00] joined by our co-hosts, Dr.
Leslie Shaw and Dr. Anna Barbieri. So welcome to the show. All right, Carolyn, I have a question for you. Okay. So this commitment to Mount Sinai is huge, and so can you walk us through a little bit about why you're so committed to Mount Sinai? Like, what, what's your history behind it?
Carolyn Rowan: Sure. So I was born at Mount Sinai, and at the time it was called the Baby Alumni Club.
I don't know if they have that anymore. Really? Yes. And then it just felt like a natural place to give birth to our four children, and it was a really awesome experience when I think about- You're nervous. It's a hard experience. You don't know what to expect, and each time, the nurses were really incredible.