Dr. Brad Smith

Medical Director, Mission of Mercy Arizona

Restoring dignity to underserved communities in Maricopa County

Location: Arizona
Website: Mission of Mercy
Donation amount: $10,000

Dr. Brad Smith has followed an unexpected path to his current role as Medical Director at Mission of Mercy (MOM) Arizona. After graduating college, Dr. Smith spent a decade as a family therapist before deciding to enroll in medical school at the age of 34. It was during that time that fate stepped in, and he was introduced to MOM.

After completing a residency in family practice, Dr. Smith realized that his heart was in community medicine, and he accepted a position at MOM, started working at MOM as a part-time assistant medical director, helping to oversee patients and clinics. He was promoted to medical director in 2003.

Under his leadership, the organization has conducted over 10,000 medical encounters and distributed over 33,000 prescription medications annually, completely free of charge. Dr. Smith has been instrumental in launching a Comprehensive Diabetes Management and Education program, addressing the needs of the 56% of patients with Type 2 diabetes. His work supports diverse, underserved communities, with 95% of patients being uninsured and 75% living below the federal poverty line.

Dr. Smith's 25-year commitment to improving healthcare access has resulted in serving over 33,500 patients since becoming medical director. Aside from his professional accolades, Dr. Smith also has a Master of Divinity from Anderson School of Theology. He’s not only an excellent family practitioner, but also a gifted listener with the ability to truly empathize with MOM’s patients.

As a medical director, I have had the privilege of working with thousands of patients who can’t afford basic healthcare in their communities,” said Dr. Brad Smith, medical director, Mission of Mercy Arizona. “Part of Mission of Mercy’s mission statement is restoring dignity to the poor, and we believe that the services we offer patients helps complete the restoration of dignity. I also get the experience of adapting and pivoting to meet the various challenges that a community-based mobile medical clinic like ours faces every day. It is enormously gratifying.