Dr. Karen Smith is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Executive Medical Director of Global Services at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC USA.  Dr. Smith is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine.   Dr. Smith obtained her medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine.  After graduation she completed her Pediatric Residency at Children’s National Hospital and was recruited to be one of the founding members of the hospital medicine division at Children’s National.  She is a Master Teacher and obtained her master’s degree in education from George Washington University where she was awarded the Nadler Leadership Award.  Throughout her career she has held several leadership positions to include Chief Medical Officer at The HSC Pediatric Center, Chair of the District of Columbia Children with Special Healthcare Needs Advisory Board, Chief of Hospital Medicine, and President of the Medical Staff at Children’s National Hospital.  In honor of her contributions to hospital medicine she was awarded the 2020 Excellence Award in Clinical Leadership by the Society of Hospital Medicine. 

Dr. Smith was appointed Medical Director of Global Services at Children’s National in 2020 where she oversees the clinical care of all international patients.  In this role she coordinated the care for children of US Afghan Allies with medical conditions who were evacuated to the Washington DC region. Currently she co-leads the International Coalition for Pediatric Consultations for children injured in Gaza which provides virtual consultations with experts from pediatric hospitals in the US, UK, Europe and Singapore.  Through this coalition pediatric experts from around the world have supported UAE physicians in the field hospital, medical ship, and evacuation hospitals caring for children with complex medical and surgical conditions.  In 2025 Dr. Smith was promoted to Executive Medical Director of Global Services at Children’s National Hospital.  In this role she is committed to strengthening partnerships and growing collaborations to provide all children with access to innovative medical care.