Barbra Streisand's $10 million gift fuels women's heart center treating 1,700 patients annually
A $10 million donation from Barbra Streisand enabled Cedars-Sinai to launch a women’s heart center that now cares for over 1,700 women each year.
Barbra Streisand’s 2012 $10 million gift to Cedars-Sinai established a dedicated women’s heart institute aimed at closing the gender gap in cardiovascular research and care. The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center investigates why heart disease manifests differently in women, emphasizing symptoms like chest pressure, indigestion, and fatigue rather than classic male chest-pain patterns. By employing tools such as adenosine cardiac MRI stress testing, the center can identify microvascular coronary dysfunction that standard angiograms often miss.
Annually, the center treats more than 1,700 female patients, integrating clinical treatment with ongoing research. Streisand’s fundraising efforts also secured contributions from figures including Michael Bloomberg, Barry Diller, and Haim Saban, expanding the program’s research capacity. The initiative reflects a broader push to prioritize women’s heart health, a leading cause of death among U.S. women.
Why it matters
It highlights how targeted philanthropy can improve diagnosis and treatment for a disease that kills more women than all cancers combined.
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