Providence, RI – Women & Infants Hospital is proud to announce that Heather Smith, MD, MPH, OBGYN Director of Quality, has been elected to the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Board of Trustees, the only Rhode Island physician to serve in this prestigious national leadership role.
Dr. Smith’s election to the Board of Trustees highlights her ongoing commitment to fighting for physicians and patients. A dedicated advocate, she brings deep experience in shaping local, state, and federal health care policy. As a Trustee, she will focus on tackling the everyday challenges doctors and patients face in the current medical landscape.
"This is a critical moment for medicine," said Dr. Smith. "Physicians are facing unprecedented pressures, from administrative burden and payment instability to workforce shortages and barriers to patient care. I am honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me and look forward to working with physicians across the country to advance practical solutions that strengthen our healthcare system, protect the patient-physician relationship, and ensure access to high-quality care."
Dr. Smith is a practicing academic OBGYN and hospitalist at Women & Infants Hospital. She cares for patients daily on the labor floor, in the operating room, and in the emergency department, giving her firsthand insight into the realities physicians face.
“This honor for Dr. Smith is a reflection of her unwavering commitment to clinical excellence, physician leadership, and improving the health of our community,” said Erin Yale, President and COO, Women & Infants Hospital. “Her election reflects the respect she has earned among her peers, and we are proud to see one of our own recognized on this national stage. We know that she will bring in valuable insight and experience to this important role.”
The American Medical Association is the leading national organization representing physicians and medical students, bringing together more than 190 state and specialty medical societies. The AMA advocates for patients and physicians, advances public health initiatives, and supports efforts to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare across the country.
Dr. Smith joined the AMA in 2002 and has served on the AMA House of Delegates since 2008. Her leadership roles include chairing the AMA Council on Legislation; serving on the AMA Foundation Board for a decade, including as president; serving two terms on the Resident and Fellow Section Governing Council; and, most recently, serving as president of the Rhode Island Medical Society. Earlier in her career, she also served as the second AMA Government Relations Advocacy Fellow and later as a Health Policy Fellow with the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.
Dr. Smith’s election marks an important milestone for Rhode Island’s physician community and recognizes her longstanding commitment to improving care and supporting the medical profession.
About Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. A major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics, as well as a number of specialized programs in women’s medicine, Women & Infants is the ninth largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country and the largest in New England with approximately 8,700 deliveries per year. Women & Infants is a Designated Baby-Friendly® USA hospital and was recently ranked by Newsweek as one of America's Best Maternity Hospitals in 2024. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ranked 11 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Medical Schools specialty ranking.
Women & Infants has been designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiography; a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology; and a Neonatal Resource Services Center of Excellence. It is one of the largest and most prestigious research facilities in high-risk and normal obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics in the nation, and is a member of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, and Pelvic Floors Disorders Network, as well as the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group.
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