A REBEL
WITH A CAUSE 46
Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation
Elizabeth Smith’s unique blend of rebel and caregiver equips her for her life’s passion: advocating for seniors. “If I was a nurse or doctor, I couldn’t be a rebel,” she says. “I would have to follow the rules. I’m good at being an advocate because I don’t stop until I get what the patient needs.” Smith, the owner of Elizabeth Smith Life and Health Insurance and a Bay Area community leader, has had a caregiving heart since childhood. She always rescued lost puppies and offered to help her grandmother’s older neighbors.
“Seniors are my favorite,” Smith says. She spent years advocating for the elderly with insurance companies, hospitals and the government. However, they often sought help too late. Therefore, Smith decided to “retire” and buy out an insurance agency so she could help older clients plan for their golden years. That knack for planning impacts her personal life, too. In addition to her membership in The Society for Leading Medicine, Smith made a planned gift to Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital — the first gift of its kind to the hospital —
