Hearing about medical experiences from the patient’s point-of-view can be life-changing for clinicians. Marjorie Greenfield, MD, has seen firsthand the power of patients sharing their stories. Dr. Greenfield is an educator and physician and is currently a Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital. Her belief in the art of compassion led her to create a “Voice of the Patient” series for UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital many years ago.

During several teaching sessions, Dr. Greenfield invited recent patients to share their experiences with the obstetrics and gynecology residents to enhance the trainees’ empathy and compassion. In one memorable session, a former patient was invited to speak about her traumatic birth experience to the residents. Hearing from the patient had a profound impact on the residents.

Dr. Greenfield recalled, “Afterwards, one of the residents said to the speaker, ‘We will take your experience into our hearts and learn from this.’ Incredibly, interacting with the residents also helped the patient. I think it was partly because she felt heard and saw how her story could make a difference. The residents talked about it for days. In over 35 years as an educator, it was the single best teaching session I ever did.”

Support for the Patient Experience

Throughout her 35-year-career at UH, Dr. Greenfield has advocated for her patients’ voices to be heard as well as exemplified how they should be treated with high quality compassionate care. Dr. Greenfield's dedication to UH MacDonald patients leaves several legacies at UH, including patient care, training the next generation of OB/GYN caregivers, and various leadership roles in the division.

In honor of her accomplishments, we are pleased to share the creation of the Marjorie Greenfield, MD Endowed Education Fund. This fund will provide the resources needed to continue to bring the voice of the patient to the physicians, nurses, and trainees of the University Hospitals OB/GYN department. 

How You Can Help

The Marjorie Greenfield, MD Endowed Education Fund will be the ultimate legacy for Dr. Greenfield, ensuring her mark on UH patients for decades to come. The fund will support education related to strengthening clinician understanding of the patient experience, including, but not limited to, “Voice of the Patient” presentations and related educational opportunities in clinician-patient communication.

Help us to amplify Dr. Greenfield’s impact by making a gift to the Marjorie Greenfield, MD Endowed Education Fund.