Virginia Mackay-Smith

Virginia Mackay-Smith is Acting Director and Associate Director for AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets (CDOM), which provides leadership and expertise for research and development of the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the health care system. CDOM's ultimate goal is to improve health care delivery by advancing evidence-based decision making in organizations and to help Americans, health care professionals, and policymakers make informed health care decisions. Ms. Mackay-Smith's responsibilities include leading the Center's strategic planning and directing program development and management activities across all CDOM programs. Before coming to AHRQ, Ms. Mackay-Smith was a division director in the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Prior to this, Ms. Mackay-Smith worked for more than 20 years in public health related fields, including directing a national resource center for campus-based substance abuse and violence prevention, and leading substance abuse prevention, health promotion, and academic success programs in higher education. She began her career at the National Institutes of Health working on program development and evaluation projects. Ms. Mackay-Smith received her master's degree from the Harvard School of Public Health.