The Educated Patient Podcast: Inside Mount Sinai’s Rainbow Clinic for Pregnancy After Loss
Born from parents’ advocacy, the Rainbow Clinic redefines how medicine approaches grief, empathy and women’s health.
By
Lana Pine
| Published on October 29, 2025
2 min read
In this moving episode of The Educated Patient Podcast, Joanne Stone, M.D., M.S., chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai, discusses the origins and mission of the Rainbow Clinic — a pioneering U.S. program offering compassionate, specialized care for families navigating pregnancy after loss.
Stone explains that the term “rainbow baby” symbolizes hope after darkness, representing the child born following a stillbirth or miscarriage. Inspired by the success of similar clinics in the U.K., Mount Sinai became the first U.S. hospital to launch a Rainbow Clinic three years ago, guided by Stone’s leadership and input from parents who had experienced loss. Their firsthand perspectives helped shape every aspect of the program — from medical protocols to emotional support and staff training.
At the clinic, each patient’s history is thoroughly reviewed to ensure individualized, evidence-based care. But what makes the program unique, Stone notes, is its emphasis on empathy and communication. Every team member — from front desk staff to physicians — undergoes specialized training to create a safe, sensitive environment. Patients are paired with peer mentors, often other parents who’ve gone through the same journey, fostering connection and reassurance.
Stone also addresses the persistent stigma surrounding pregnancy loss, calling it an invisible grief that many endure in silence. Stillbirth affects roughly one in 160 pregnancies, yet it remains underdiscussed. She emphasizes the need for open dialogue, policy change (including family medical leave for grieving parents) and increased research funding.
Looking ahead, Stone is helping to expand the Rainbow Clinic model nationwide, with six new clinics set to open in the coming year. She also shares optimism about the growing national focus on women’s health research, long underfunded and underrepresented in medical studies.
Her message to anyone who has experienced loss is that you are not alone. There is a community here to support you — and hope for the future.
