Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) today announced the establishment of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Institute for Evidence, Innovation, and Policy, an evolution of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research into a broad, multidisciplinary research enterprise that will encompass several centers. Experts from the Smith Center have regularly informed healthcare policy, regulatory decision-making, and clinical practice through partnerships with organizations including the FDA and publications in leading journals.
“The Smith Institute will be a powerful resource across Beth Israel Lahey Health, bringing together expertise in outcomes research, emerging technologies and health policy,” said Kevin Tabb, MD, president and CEO, Beth Israel Lahey Health. “By supporting innovative initiatives across BILH, the Smith Institute will create new opportunities for collaboration, shared learning and the advancement of care for the patients and communities we serve.”
The philanthropic support of Richard and Susan Smith helped establish the Smith Center in 2015, and since then it has expanded into an internationally recognized program of more than 60 faculty investigators, statisticians, research staff, and postdoctoral fellows.
“The evolution into the Smith Institute reflects the scale and caliber of work the Smith Center has been leading for the past decade and our commitment to advancing innovative research and education,” said Pete Healy, president, BIDMC, and divisional president, Metro Boston, Beth Israel Lahey Health. “The Smith Institute’s new centers will bring dedicated focus and resources to addressing the most critical health care issues.”
“The Smith Institute strengthens our ability to expand clinical and translational research and accelerate the discovery of innovations that improve patient care,” said Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, chief academic officer, BILH & BIDMC. “By bringing together experts across disciplines and fostering deeper collaboration, the Smith Institute will serve as a catalyst for research that advances scientific knowledge, informs health policy, and delivers meaningful impact.”
The Smith Institute will be led by two BIDMC physician-scientists — Executive Chair Robert W. Yeh, MD, MSc, the Katz Silver Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
“The Smith Center was founded on the idea that bringing together expert clinicians with the most creative methodologists and investigators could generate evidence that transforms clinical care,” said Dr. Yeh. “Over the past decade, that vision has grown into an extraordinary community of investigators, trainees, and staff. The Smith Institute represents the next chapter of that work—a home where evidence, innovation, and policy can come together to address some of the most important challenges facing health care.”
The evolution into the Smith Institute builds on this foundation by bringing together a growing portfolio of centers within the Institute — including established programs and new multidisciplinary initiatives—focused on medical device innovation and evaluation, health policy, clinical outcomes and trials research, quantitative methods, and the development and application of artificial intelligence across medicine and procedural care. Each center will pursue a distinct scientific mission within the Smith Institute, which will provide shared strategic leadership, expertise, infrastructure, and opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.
“The Smith Institute creates a unique opportunity to bring together leading investigators across its centers and scientific disciplines to pursue bigger, bolder ideas, generate trusted evidence, and accelerate innovation,” said Dr. Wadhera. “But the real promise of the Institute is translating that work into action—moving ideas and evidence into clinical practice and policy, reaching patients and communities at scale, and delivering lasting improvements in health.”
Training and mentorship remain central to the Smith Institute’s mission. The Institute supports trainees, fellows, and junior investigators from across BIDMC and Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH), Boston-area institutions, and leading programs throughout the United States and around the world. Through its fellowship programs and broader mentorship initiatives, the Smith Institute will help develop the next generation of investigators and leaders.
The launch of the Smith Institute marks the next phase for a program that has combined rigorous methods, clinical expertise, policy engagement, and a commitment to improving care. Working closely with clinical departments, leaders across BILH, academic and industry partners, policymakers, and philanthropic supporters, the Smith Institute will bring together evidence, clinical insight, technological innovation, and policy expertise to tackle consequential challenges in health care and improve care for patients and populations.
About the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Institute for Evidence, Innovation, and Policy
Founded in 2015, the Smith Institute for Evidence, Innovation, and Policy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center conducts rigorous, patient-centered research to improve health outcomes and inform clinical decision-making. Embedded within a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, the Institute combines novel analytical approaches with deep clinical expertise to understand and improve patient outcomes and advance healthcare delivery. Their work has influenced national policy, generated new clinical insights, and increased access to high-quality, affordable care. To get news as soon as it happens, follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn.
