Dr. Joanne Smith

President and CEO Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Smith oversaw the construction of the rehab hospital’s new state-of-the-art facility, which blends clinical and research capabilities. The AbilityLab serves more than 50,000 patients annually with referrals from across the country and around the globe. Inpatient admissions are up 20% since the new facility opened in 2017. Smith created a unique data-capture program that measures a patient’s progress in recovery and the cost of care. Last year, Smith won the Women of Concern Humanitarian Award, alongside former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. More than 50% of the AbilityLab’s leadership team is female.