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Carolyn Ward, MD

Director of Clinical Product Strategy

Carolyn Ward, MD, is the Director of Clinical Product Strategy at Ro and a board-certified internal medicine physician dedicated to transforming healthcare. With a passion for making a meaningful impact in patients' lives. Dr. Ward began her career as a primary care physician, delivering proactive, patient-centered care. While she found immense value in individual patient interactions, she became acutely aware of the growing disparities in healthcare access and equity across the United States. This realization inspired her transition into product strategy, driven by a mission to scale access to high-quality care for all. Today, she leads product strategy for Sexual Health, Dermatology, and Fertility at Ro, bridging her clinical expertise with innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes.

Before joining Ro, Dr. Ward served as the director of clinical strategy at Particle Health, a cutting-edge data interoperability platform that empowers physicians with actionable patient data to enhance care delivery. Prior to that, she worked at Forward, where she spearheaded the design and launch of impactful digital health programs, including apps that significantly boosted patient engagement and health outcomes. These experiences underscore her ability to blend technology and clinical insights to drive measurable improvements in healthcare delivery. 

Dr. Ward has also been featured on multiple podcasts, with topics ranging from the transformative potential of data and AI in healthcare to the importance of empowering women in leadership. She received her MD from and completed her residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Based on the West Coast, Dr. Ward lives in Orange County, California with her husband and two sons and enjoys hiking, volunteering, and reading. You can find her on LinkedIn. 

Education 

Certifications

Professional accomplishments 

  • Chief Resident, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

  • Winner, Dr. Robert S. Pinals Humanism and Professionalism Award, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

  • Founded the Healthcare Leadership and Management track as part of the Internal Medicine Residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Hospital 

  • Featured on multiple podcasts, including PharmaPhorum, Making Data Simple, FUTR, and The Compliance Guy

Published articles 

  • Graber, J. M., Chuang, C. T., Ward, C. L., Black, K., & Udasin, I. G. (2018). Head and Neck Cancer in World Trade Center Responders: A Case Series. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(9), e439–e444. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001386

  • Risbud, R. M., Lee, C., & Porter, B. E. (2011). Neurotrophin-3 mRNA a putative target of miR21 following status epilepticus. Brain Research, 1424, 53–59. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2011.09.039

  • Ward, C., Patel, V., Elsaid, M. I., Jaisinghani, P., & Sharma, R. (2021). A case-control study of length of stay outliers. The American Journal of Managed Care, 27(3), e66–e71. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2021.88600

  • Ward, C., Verga, S., Lynch, K., Parikh, P. (2017). Adult presentation of diffuse osteopetrosis masquerading as right hip osteoarthritis. Journal of Case Reports and Images in Orthopedics and Rheumatology. doi:10.5348/Z14-2017-7-CL-4