WakeMed Achieves Elite National Status as Surgical Safety Leader
WakeMed has just been named a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), making it the first health system in North Carolina and one of only four in the entire United States to earn this prestigious designation from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), the leading authority on perioperative nursing.
This urgent recognition highlights WakeMed’s commitment to evidence-based, interdisciplinary surgical care that significantly improves patient outcomes by minimizing complications, optimizing pain management, and accelerating recovery times. The award confirms WakeMed’s standing among the nation’s surgical safety elite, offering consistent, whole-person health care around every surgical procedure.
AORN Honors WakeMed for Cutting-Edge Enhanced Recovery Practices
The AORN Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety designation is only awarded after rigorous evaluation of a health system’s comprehensive adoption of the ERAS program. This groundbreaking surgical approach focuses on coordinated care between surgical teams, nurses, and patients before, during, and after surgery to hasten recovery and reduce hospital stay durations.
David Wyatt, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN, CEO and Executive Director of AORN, praised the achievement, saying,
“ERAS is one of the strongest examples of how coordinated, interdisciplinary practice improves patient outcomes. This designation reflects a facility’s commitment to shared standards, teamwork, and the evidence-based interventions that make surgery safer.”
WakeMed Surgical Nurses Drive National-Level Recognition
Cindy Alness Boily, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, WakeMed senior vice president & Chief Nursing Officer, expressed pride in the surgical nursing staff that spearheaded the initiative. She stated,
“WakeMed is committed to providing whole-person health care and this recognition demonstrates just how strong our commitment is”
. WakeMed is also nationally recognized for its outstanding nursing excellence, carrying the Magnet® with Distinction honor, an elite achievement awarded to only a few U.S. hospitals.
The combination of Magnet recognition and AORN’s ERAS Center of Excellence seal powerfully reinforces WakeMed’s dedication to advancing surgical safety standards and constantly improving patient care quality through nursing leadership and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Why This Matters Now: Elevating Surgical Outcomes Nationwide
This distinction arrives at a pivotal time as surgical safety and patient experience remain top concerns in American healthcare. The ERAS model’s proven benefits – including fewer postoperative complications, less opioid use, and faster recoveries – directly address challenges that affect millions of surgical patients nationwide.
WakeMed’s achievement signals a broader movement toward safer, smarter surgery protocols in the U.S., setting a powerful standard for other health systems to follow. For patients facing surgery, this means improved trust in surgical care quality and more consistent recovery success.
Looking Ahead: What WakeMed’s Award Means for Patients
With the AORN Center of Excellence title secured, WakeMed is poised to continue enhancing surgical pathways, expanding team training, and refining recovery protocols for even safer patient journeys. The system’s entire surgical services team remains focused on advancing care innovations that reduce risks and improve patient well-being.
Healthcare leaders and patients should watch for WakeMed’s ongoing excellence in surgical outcomes as it pushes the frontier of perioperative nursing and recovery science. This national recognition reinforces the vital role of nursing-led initiatives in revolutionizing health care delivery.
WakeMed operates multiple facilities across North Carolina, serving a broad patient population while setting benchmarks that resonate across the United States.
Summary:
WakeMed’s historic AORN designation as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety establishes a new standard for surgical care in North Carolina and across the U.S., reflecting a fierce commitment to patient-centric, evidence-based recovery practices that save lives and accelerate healing after surgery.
