Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Welcomes Dr. Kari Smith
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Welcomes Dr. Kari Smith
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Kari Smith will join our team of providers on January 4, 2027. Dr. Smith brings more than two decades of experience in family medicine and will provide comprehensive, high-quality primary care to residents and visitors to Cook County and Grand Portage.
“Dr. Smith brings an exceptional combination of experience, clinical skill, and commitment to whole-person care,” says Kate Surbaugh, SMC CEO. “Her long career in family medicine and her time practicing in rural settings make her an especially strong fit for Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. We are delighted to welcome her to our team.”
SMC Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Paul Terrill, adds “Dr. Smith’s background has prepared her well for the breadth of medicine we practice at SMC. She is committed to caring for patients across the lifespan, and her skills will complement those of our current providers. Our patients and community will benefit greatly from this addition.”
After earning her medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. Smith completed her residency through the Duluth Family Practice Residency Program in 2002. A board-certified family physician, she has spent more than two decades practicing in Wisconsin, first at Osceola Medical Center and, since 2015, with Hudson Physicians. Throughout her career, Dr. Smith has been committed to compassionate, comprehensive care and to training future physicians. She has served as honorary faculty with the University of Minnesota since 2005, teaching medical students and participants in the Rural Physician Associate Program, a program that was also part of her own rural medical training.
Dr. Smith already has strong ties to the area through her family’s cabin up the Gunflint Trail and is thrilled to make Cook County her home. Outside of medicine, she enjoys yoga, canoeing, backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, archery, and ballroom and Latin dancing. She is currently building a yoga studio at her family’s property up the Trail.
“I’m excited to join Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and become part of the Cook County community,” said Dr. Smith. “My family has loved spending time here for years, and I’m looking forward to making the North Shore home while continuing the work I love: caring for patients and families throughout all stages of life.”
We look forward to welcoming Dr. Smith to Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and the Cook County community. Patients interested in establishing care with Dr. Smith may call Sawtooth Mountain Clinic at (218) 387-2330 after December 1, 2026 and speak with one of our Patient Access Specialists.