Martha Smith EdD, RD

On June 1, 2025, Dr. Martha A. Smith was appointed as the Interim Medical Center Director for the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Smith joined the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System (SLVHCS) executive leadership team in February 2024 as the Deputy Director. She had been the Assistant Medical Center Director at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, LA since January 2021.

Dr. Smith, a Registered Dietitian, joined the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in 2015 as the Chief of Nutrition and Food Services at the W.G. Bill Hefner VA Medical Center, located in Salisbury, NC. Before working in the VHA, Dr. Smith served on active duty in the United States Army as a commissioned officer for seven years and in the Army Reserves for two years. Her military assignments included serving as the Chief of Nutrition for the 65th Medical Brigade in Seoul, South Korea from 2012 to 2015, and conducting education, training, and research with Baylor University graduate students at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state from 2008 to 2012.

Dr. Smith's administrative and leadership achievements include 37 years in healthcare and direct practice. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). She completed the Health Care Leadership Development Program (HCLDP) in 2019 and the Leadership VA (LVA) program in 2023. Dr. Smith was awarded a Doctor of Educational Leadership (EdD) by Eastern Michigan University in 2008. Additionally, she earned a Master of Science from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Michigan State University.