Founder & Chief Executive Officer · SMK Medical
Dr. Demetrius Kirk, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, LNHA
Dr. Kirk has worked in post-acute care since 2007, from certified nursing assistant to nursing home administrator to hospital executive. He founded SMK Medical and SurveyGuard, and he reviews the clinical and regulatory guidance published on this site.
Credentials
Licensed, certified, and trained to lead buildings
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Registered nurse, licensed in Michigan and Hawaii
- Licensed nursing home administrator in Michigan and Hawaii
- QAPI Certified Professional Master Trainer, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Fellow, American College of Health Care Administrators (FACHCA)
- PAC-NE certification
Education provider
SMK Medical is a California Board of Registered Nursing approved continuing education provider (provider number 17919). Dr. Kirk teaches the QAPI Certified Professional course as a Master Trainer.
Research
His doctoral project reduced resident falls by 86.6% using the Morse Fall Scale, a structured fall-risk assessment paired with targeted interventions.
Experience
From the floor to the executive office
- 2007
Certified nursing assistant and team leader
Started in post-acute care at the bedside, learning how care is actually delivered on every shift.
- RN
Bedside nursing
Moved into licensed nursing practice in long-term care and rehabilitation.
- LNHA
Nursing home administration
Ran buildings through survey, staffing pressure, and turnarounds, then moved into regional leadership.
- CAO
Hospital executive
Served as Chief Administrative Officer of Wahiawa General Hospital in Hawaii and led the organization through its closure in 2022.
- SMK
Founder, SMK Medical
Built a national compliance practice for nursing homes: mock surveys, survey response, MDS support, QAPI, and training.
- SG
Founder, SurveyGuard
Created SurveyGuard, an AI-powered compliance platform for post-acute and long-term care.
Leadership and speaking
Teaching leaders to hold a higher standard
Dr. Kirk speaks to long-term care associations and leadership teams on regulatory readiness, change management, and leading through hard decisions. He serves as Co-Chair of the Governance Committee for DNPs of Color.
Guidance he reviews
Mock surveys · Survey response and Plans of Correction · Disputing citations · MDS and PDPM support · Medicare ADR help · QAPI · Free tools
Related
Work with SMK Medical
Facing a survey, an ADR, or an MDS gap?
Call and talk to our team today.