UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Earns AORN Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety Recognition
UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s is proud to announce its designation as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), the nation’s leading authority on perioperative nursing practice. This recognition honors the facility’s commitment to improving patients’ physical and psychological well-being before, during, and after surgery through consistent, evidence-based Enhanced Recovery practices.
“ERAS is one of the strongest examples of how coordinated, interdisciplinary practice improves patient outcomes,” said David Wyatt, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN, AORN’s CEO & executive director. “This designation reflects a facility’s commitment to shared standards, teamwork, and the evidence-based interventions that make surgery safer.”
“Achieving this AORN Center of Excellence designation reflects our team’s dedication to delivering exceptional care at every stage of the surgical journey,” says Jane Arnold, president of UnityPoint Health – Sioux City. “This recognition validates the hard work, collaboration and commitment of our surgical team, and reinforces our promise to provide the safest possible care for our patients and community.”
The Center of Excellence designation signifies that UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s has successfully completed AORN’s comprehensive ERAS program, an evidence-based, multidisciplinary initiative focused on reducing postoperative complications, improving pain management, optimizing recovery and strengthening team communication.
To earn this national recognition, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s completed a rigorous assessment and implemented a series of key initiatives, including:
A comprehensive review and enhancement of existing ERAS-related protocols
Adoption of advanced technologies that support best practices in surgical safety
Advanced education and skills training for surgical team members
A strengthened culture of communication and psychological safety in the OR, empowering team members to speak up for patient safety
This achievement reflects UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s dedication to elevating surgical care, advancing outcomes, and ensuring consistent, high-quality recovery experiences for every patient.