Unsung Hero of the O.R.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Kristin Smith ’95 thrives in relative anonymity

Dr. Smith is most often the last person patients see or hear before their surgery begins. And she plays a critical role throughout every second of their procedures — maintaining sedation while being hyper vigilant in monitoring vitals and communicating with the surgical team to address any complications that emerge. But once the operations are over, patients are unlikely to remember Smith and know all she did to keep them safe.

“I remember in medical school being told that if you want to go into anesthesia, just know that no one is ever going to look at you and say, ‘There goes my doctor,’” said Smith. “So, I’m not in this for the acknowledgment. The reward I enjoy is knowing that I delivered a patient safely through the procedure and back to their family with a good outcome.”

Smith has provided critical surgical care as a general anesthesiologist for the last 22 years at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif. She’s been in the O.R. for virtually every type of surgery under the California sun.

“The best part of my work is being able to apply all the subjects — pharmacology, physiology and physics — that first sparked my passion for medicine,” said Smith. “If I see a problem, I fix it. If a patient’s blood pressure is too high, I administer a medication and three minutes later it’s better. There’s a lot of immediate gratification in what I do.”

When she’s not in the operating room, Smith fills a variety of administrative leadership roles at the hospital. As director of OB Anesthesia, she recently helped Hoag hospitals earn redesignation as a Center of Excellence by the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP).

“We have to prove we meet or exceed many quality metrics,” said Smith.“More than just following the right practices, though, we’ve been able to demonstrate that we actually produce top patient outcomes.”

Tragic Beginning Inspires Life of Impact

Smith’s personal commitment to excellence and professional calling into medicine is born of tragic circumstances. Her parents were killed by a drunk driver in a car accident when she was just two years old. She was fortunate to be raised by extended family members, eventually moving from Pleasantville to Indianola in second grade.

“I think what drove me to become a physician was losing my parents at such a young age,” said Smith. “I didn’t have anything left of them other than the trust fund they provided. I wanted to make their death meaningful by doing something with that money that nobody could ever take away. I felt like getting an education to impact the world in a positive way was the best thing I could do.”

Initially, looking to “spread her wings,” Smith attended Northwestern University in Chicago. But just one semester into her freshman year, she transferred to Simpson, where she says she flourished under the guidance of several legendary faculty including Dr. Joe Moody (biology) and Dr. Pat Singer (biology), Dr. Cliff Meints (chemistry) and Dr. Rick Spellerberg (math).

Simpson Opens the World

Simpson opened Smith’s eyes to a whole new world of possibilities during May Term abroad adventures in Greece and Central America.

“Those provided intimate experiences that helped me realize that people are just people everywhere you go,” said Smith. “My trip to Guatemala and El Salvador is what really stirred my heart to do something medical to help those in impoverished conditions.”

Medical school afforded such opportunities. Smith did a medicine rotation on the South Pacific Island of Vanuatu and later was part of medical missions to India and Haiti.

Creating Her Legacy

These days, Smith is working hard to balance the many demands of her profession with family priorities. She and her husband, Spencer, are enjoying life raising their twin 14-year-old daughters while encouraging them to develop a heart for serving others. To that end, Smith and her daughters are engaged in a wide variety of different making endeavors as members of the National Charity League, which provides abundant opportunities for mothers and daughters to take part in community-based activism.

Smith says Simpson is largely responsible for inspiring her commitment to serving causes more important than her own ambitions.

“Simpson helped set the foundation for what I wanted my life to become. It set me on the right path to pursue what I value in life, which is community and service — and just being a good person, which is what Simpson is all about.”