Medical Advocacy

For Tiffany Jones-Smith, BA ’95, what began as a passion for serving others has grown into a mission to advance kidney health and expand access to healthcare for all Texans. Since 2017, Jones-Smith has served as president and CEO of the Texas Kidney Foundation, where she has transformed the organization into a prevention-first leader in kidney health and chronic disease management. She also serves as chair of the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, leading efforts that improve the lives of thousands of individuals every year, particularly in underserved communities where chronic disease often goes undetected and untreated.

Her dedication to the cause is deeply personal. After losing 15 family members to kidney disease and learning that she carries a high-risk, genetic variant herself, Jones-Smith chose to turn her own story into a force for change. Under her leadership, the Texas Kidney Foundation has screened more than 16,000 people, delivered kidney health education to more than a million Texas households and built the state’s largest community-based dataset on chronic kidney disease. She uses research, policy, technology and storytelling to dismantle health inequities and empower patients with knowledge that can save lives. In recognition of her commitment, she was the recipient of the Baylor Black Alumni Alliance’s Mrs. Barbara Walker Distinguished Black Alumni Achievement Award in 2025.

Jones-Smith also is making history as the first woman, the first African American, and the first person living with a genetic kidney condition to lead Texas’s chronic kidney disease task force. She continues to innovate, using cutting-edge technology to predict and prevent kidney risk earlier while elevating patient voices through her podcast, “On the Record with Tiffany and Kevin.”

Her approach is reshaping how Texans understand, prevent and respond to chronic disease.

Jones-Smith credits her Baylor education — rooted in English, philosophy and political science — with preparing her to advocate boldly and lead with purpose. Her journey stands as a testament to the power of combining passion, faith and service to create meaningful change.