Katie Couric and Christy Turlington Burns Make the Case for Women’s Health

Written by:

PALMER Editor

Images: David Benthal/BFA.com

07/16/2026

There are plenty of reasons to gather Out East in July. Last Thursday, it was women’s health.

Award-winning journalist Katie Couric joined Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts and one of the world’s most recognizable supermodels, for a candid conversation at Southampton Hospital Foundation’s 6th Annual East Hampton Emergency Department Luncheon, where the focus stayed firmly on expanding access to high-quality healthcare on the East End. Held at the Maidstone Club in support of the Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department, the annual fundraiser has become one of the Hamptons’ most meaningful philanthropic fixtures, raising more than $1.5 million since its inception to strengthen emergency care for local residents and the summer visitors alike. The department has already treated more than 13,500 patients since opening in May 2025.

Couric led a wide-ranging discussion on motherhood, philanthropy, and the state of women’s healthcare. Turlington Burns reflected on the experience that led her to found Every Mother Counts and previewed her HBO documentary Perilous Passage: Birth in America, while Couric spoke about HORMONAL!, her latest documentary project about women’s health, slated for release in 2027, and her hope that it sparks a broader conversation around women’s healthcare.

“I feel like documentaries can be incredibly helpful to connect the dots, show the root causes of an issue, and point toward solutions,” said Couric. “We want to start a movement and not just do a movie.”

The guest list also drew a strong Palm Beach contingent, including Hilary Geary Ross, Liz Lange, Judith Guest, Sarah Wetenhall, Talbott Maxey, and Jean Shafiroff, who joined fellow Foundation supporters for lunch overlooking the Atlantic after the conversation, proving once again that when a worthwhile cause calls, Palm Beach is never far behind.