
October 13 marks the birthday of Dr. Richard Smith, the founder of MEDEX Northwest, a man whose groundbreaking work transformed health care delivery systems around the world. Alongside his remarkable contributions to medicine, Dr. Smith had a little-known sweet spot: chocolate mousse. If given the choice, we’re certain he’d skip the birthday cake and dive right into a rich, velvety mousse au chocolat.
The story of Dr. Smith’s love for chocolate mousse began in 1961 during a stopover in Paris on his way to his Peace Corps assignment in Nigeria. It was there, sharing a café table with an old friend, that he first tasted mousse au chocolat. That moment sparked a lifelong passion, and wherever his work took him—Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, or beyond—Dr. Smith never passed up the chance to go “chocolate mousse hunting.” More than just a treat, these hunts became his way to de-stress and find a bit of joy amid his tireless efforts to improve global health care.
Dr. Smith’s dedication to improving health care was extraordinary, especially in providing critical care to rural and underserved populations around the globe. His time with the Peace Corps inspired a vision of collaboration that led to the creation of MEDEX both domestically and internationally. The Physician Assistants he helped train—known in various places as Medexes, Wechakorns, village health workers, community health aides, practical nurses, medical assistants, and more—continue his mission today, delivering essential care to their communities.
And yet, no matter how many health care systems he transformed, there was always time for chocolate mousse hunting. His hunts became legendary among colleagues—a quirky, joyful ritual in the midst of his demanding work. As we honor Dr. Richard Smith on his birthday, we celebrate both his remarkable contributions to global health care and his love for the little things that brought him joy.
Happy Birthday, Dr. Smith—may there always be mousse au chocolat to hunt!
Dr. Richard Smith
October 13, 1932 – March 10, 2017