Arts and Sciences alumna Phyllis Greenberger â64 (right) with President Bill Clinton at the White House in the early 1990s. During the Clinton presidency, Greenberger was a key lobbyist for womenâs health issues. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)
When Phyllis E. Greenberger â64 walked the campus of şÚÁϲť´ňěČ as a student, she could never have imagined that nearly three decades later, she would be in the Oval Office, advocating for womenâs health with United States President Bill Clinton. After graduating from SU, her career led her from social work to federal lobbyist. Greenberger eventually became a leading voice for women’s health while serving as President and CEO of theĚýĚý(ł§°Âąá¸é).
Greenberger credits her time on the SU Hill for her success on Capitol Hill. Armed with her liberal arts education, which honed her critical thinking, adaptability and cultural awareness, she developed a “never take no for an answer” attitude that would ultimately transform the landscape of women’s health research.
During her time leading SWHR, Greenberger continually fought for equal attention to women in healthcare. This was necessary because, before SWHR was founded in 1990, medical research predominantly focused on men, resulting in significant gaps in understanding how illnesses manifest in women as compared to men. Thanks to her passionate and steadfast advocacy, Greenberger and others with SWHR helped pass legislation that advanced patient-specific treatment with an emphasis on addressing sex differences, ensuring that both men and women benefit equally from scientific advancements.
Phyllis Greenberger (Photo by Geoff Livingston)
Shining the light on womenâs health is a fight that Greenberger helped to start, but a fight she says is far from over. According to a recent report from theĚý, the cancer incidence rate for women younger than 50 has increased from 51% higher than men in 2002 to 82% higher in 2021. Additionally, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimerâs disease, and autoimmune disorders including lupus, celiac disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis continue to occur more commonly in women than in men, as reported byĚý. Greenberger stresses the need for researchers and advocates to persist in integrating sex differences into medical and pharmaceutical studies, as this will lead to better health outcomes for all.
We recently sat down with Greenberger to learn more about her şÚÁϲť´ňěČ experience, her role as a champion of women’s health and her views on the current state of women’s health.
Take us back to your time at şÚÁϲť´ňěČ. Why did you choose SU and what do you remember most fondly from your time as a student?
Being a native of Brooklyn, I fell in love with the Central New York region while taking summer courses at Cornell University as a high school student. Those experiences motivated me to apply to şÚÁϲť´ňěČ.
I really enjoyed my time at şÚÁϲť´ňěČ. I was in a sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, and I still have many friends that I keep in touch with. One of my most memorable experiences, though, was my time abroad in Florence. Having the opportunity to study abroad was very unusual at that time, and it was very transformative.
What did you enjoy about studying abroad?
Living with two separate Italian families was an incredibly enlightening experience and allowed me to become fluent in Italian. Immersing yourself in a new culture broadens your perspective and I highly recommend that students study abroad if they have the opportunity.
How would you describe the significance of a liberal arts education, study abroad programs and experiential learning opportunities?
Having an academically and experientially diverse education is critically important. It’s unfortunate that many universities are focusing too much on technology, with students attending college solely to secure a specific job upon graduation.
While employment is essential, we should also understand history, read literature and develop strong writing skills. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the world is changing rapidly. Students need to explore various classes and experiences to discover what truly interests and excites them.
Shifting to your career as a womenâs health advocate, what inspired you to become involved in that field?
While interning with the American Psychiatric Association, I met several female psychiatrists who were concerned that women werenât included in clinical trials, even though women suffered more from depression and anxiety than men.
That internship led to your job with the APA, where you served asĚýAssistant Director of Government RelationsĚýand Director of the Political Action Committee. After that role, how did you transition to the Society for Women’s Health Research?
While with the APA, I met an OBGYN by the name of Florence Haseltine, who was founding the society. I suggested that in addition to having researchers and scientists on the board, the society also needed someone that knows Washington. With the APA I ran their Political Action Committee, so I knew many women members in Congress and my husband was in the media, so I knew the journalists, so they asked me to be on the volunteer board.
Greenberger with Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro at a political function in Washington, D.C. during the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)
Can you explain your role in advancing women’s health advocacy at the presidential level?
Phyllis Greenberger (right) with Hillary Clinton at a womenâs health research dinner in the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)
In the early 1990s, while I was with the APA, I began working with the staff of (former second lady) Tipper Gore, who was interested in mental health issues. Later, a friend asked me to organize a group of women for an event during President Bill Clintonâs presidential campaign, where Hillary Clinton was speaking. After the event, I suggested to Hillary, âIf you’re going to be speaking to women across the country, you might want to talk about women’s health.â
When I arrived at my office the following day, Hillary had left a message asking me to join their campaign as an advocate for womenâs health. During Billâs acceptance speech the following January, he made a reference to womenâs health. After the speech, Hillary came over to me and said, âthat was because of you,â so that was really nice. That was sort of where it all started.
How did your experience as a lobbyist with the Clinton campaign lead to your leadership role with the Society for Womenâs Health Research?
After Bill Clinton talked about womenâs health in his inauguration speech, I went back to the board of the society the next meeting, and I said, âNow that the President is talking about women’s health, I think we have to become a real organization, not just volunteer.â They spent six months looking for a CEO. During that time, I thought I might want to work for the Clintons in the White House, but then I decided it would be more fun and interesting to help start an organization. I put my resume in, and I ended up being selected to head the society.
Phyllis Greenberger (left of center) with President Bill Clinton at the White House after Clinton signed an appropriations bill in support of womenâs health. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Greenberger)
Can you talk about some of the issues women faced from a healthcare standpoint when you started with the Society for Womenâs Health Research?
In the early 1990s, medical devices such as pacemakers, joint replacements and stents were designed based on male anatomy, ignoring the differences between menâs and womenâs bodies. Now we know medications and devices work differently for each gender. However, issues like undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions persist because some physicians lack familiarity with the different symptoms, so the fight for womenâs health rights isnât over yet.
How have you seen the scope of womenâs health organizations change during your career?
When I started with the society, we were the only organization dedicated to women’s health. Now, there are several. I also played a role in convincing the American Heart Association to recognize that women have heart attacks, which they hadn’t considered before due to the lack of women in clinical trials. Similarly, the National Osteoporosis Foundation was initially focused on men. Thankfully, a lot has changed for the better.
Greenbergerâs book,Ěý, chronicles the fight to overcome bias and discrimination in women’s healthcare. It emphasizes the ways in which biological sex significantly impacts both health and the quality of healthcare received. Although conditions like heart and autoimmune diseases, migraines and others manifest differently in individuals with XX chromosomes, Greenberger argues that many patients do not receive the appropriate attention or care due to sex bias present in clinics, laboratories and clinical studies.
Your acclaimed book,ĚýSex Cells,Ěýoutlines the historical context of womenâs health. What was the motivation to write it and bring this story to the public?
I think itâs important for people to understand the history of womenâs health, not only because of the progress, but also because of the fact that we’re not there yet. The beginning of the book focuses on the history and the end is patient stories and quotes from researchers. The quotes from the researchers make it obvious that there’s still a lot of ignorance, a lot of denial and a lot of research that is not being taken into consideration. The patient stories bring attention to women who have been turned away because their symptoms are different, or they’re not taken seriously.
Can you provide an example?
Doctors often dismiss women’s complaints about pain. There are numerous stories of women experiencing indigestion, stomach pains, or chest pains, only to be ignored in hospitals and then later on discover that they were having a heart attack. The last part of the book is really a statement about how much ignorance and denial still exists.
How do you hope your book informs future healthcare professionals?
I hope medical students will read the book, especially those at universities where sex differences aren’t part of the curriculum. By doing so, they can advocate for their medical schools to include this important topic. The goal is to educate future doctors about sex differences and the various ways men and women differ. This knowledge will improve patient care, enhance treatment effectiveness and ensure that medical research is comprehensive and inclusive.
For her contributions to the field of womenâs health, Greenberger has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions:
Throughout your career, you consistently challenged the status quo to advocate for others. Whatâs your secret to achieving success in this endeavor?
I’ve been asked so many times how I managed to do what I did. It really had to do with me having, as they say in Yiddish, âchutzpah.â I just never took no for an answer. When heads of major health organizations ignored what we were trying to do for womenâs health advocacy, I just kept on going. Don’t take no for an answer. If you really feel strongly about something, then you need to really push it.
My advice to students: Hopefully you can find something thatâs not just a job, but a vocation. Something that you really care about and that you can really pursue. If it’s something that you can do that is going to help individuals or help your community, thatâs whatâs important.
