ARUP’s Kristi Smock, MD, Named a 2026 Utah Business Healthcare Hero

ARUP Laboratories' Kristi Smock, MD, medical director of the Hemostasis/Thrombosis Laboratory, has been named a 2026 Utah Business Healthcare Hero, recognizing her contributions as a physician, educator, mentor, and leader in laboratory medicine.

As associate division chief for Clinical Pathology at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Smock has dedicated her career to improving patient care while helping to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals. She has mentored more than 100 residents, fellows, faculty members, and laboratory professionals throughout her two decades in academic medicine. For Smock, that work is some of the most meaningful of her career.

"It's shaping the future of healthcare," she said. "The things you care about live on because you're able to convey why certain things are fascinating and important, and then they carry that forward long after you're gone."

The award will be presented at an October 21 luncheon at the Grand America Hotel, and Smock will be featured in Utah Business magazine alongside the other honorees, who are expanding access to care and pioneering diagnostics.

Early in her career, Smock led the development of ARUP's serotonin release assay, a highly specialized test used to diagnose heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, a serious condition that can lead to life-threatening complications. Bringing the test to ARUP improved access to timely diagnostic information and helped physicians make critical treatment decisions more quickly.

Smock's expertise also influences healthcare on a national scale. Through leadership roles with organizations including the North American Specialized Coagulation Laboratory Association, the College of American Pathologists, and the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Societies of North America, she helps advance quality standards, educational initiatives, and best practices that strengthen laboratory medicine and improve patient care.

Recently, Smock completed the prestigious Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellowship, which cultivates female leaders destined for C-suite positions in hospitals and healthcare systems. She is one of the first ARUP medical directors to participate in the program and said it was an extremely valuable experience and networking opportunity. Smock also recently stepped into a new leadership role supporting faculty development, recruitment, and education within the U's Clinical Pathology Division.

Whether mentoring future healthcare leaders, advancing diagnostic testing, or helping shape the future of laboratory medicine, Smock remains focused on creating opportunities for others to succeed and improving care for patients.

She joins two other ARUP medical directors who have received Healthcare Hero awards. Tracy George, MD, chief scientific officer and president of the Innovation Business Unit, was honored in 2022. David Hillyard, MD, medical director of Molecular Infectious Diseases, was honored in 2020.

Bonnie Stray, [email protected]