Elkin, NC, February 26, 2026 – Hugh Chatham Health in Elkin has been recognized by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Smoke Evacuation, earning the prestigious Go Clear™ Award. This national recognition underscores Hugh Chatham’s unwavering commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment for both patients and surgical staff by effectively eliminating the hazards of surgical smoke. The AORN Go Clear™ Award signifies that Hugh Chatham Health’s surgical teams have successfully completed AORN’s comprehensive, evidence-based program and implemented advanced technologies to ensure a smoke-free environment wherever surgical smoke is generated. This achievement demonstrates the facility’s proactive approach to protecting the health and well-being of everyone in the operating room.
Mary Blackburn, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at Hugh Chatham Health, said “We are honored to receive the AORN Go Clear™ Award, a meaningful recognition of our unwavering commitment to the safety of both patients and teammates. Eliminating surgical smoke is an essential part of our safety strategy, and this award affirms our ongoing efforts to deliver the highest quality care in a safe, healthy environment.”
Surgical smoke, a hazardous byproduct of laser and electrosurgical procedures, poses significant health risks to those exposed. Hugh Chatham Health recognized the importance of eliminating this risk and took proactive steps to ensure a smoke-free surgical environment.
“Surgical smoke occurs every day in operating rooms and poses health risks to those exposed to it. AORN created this program so that every facility can understand the urgency and take steps to protect the health and safety of patients, nurses, physicians, and support staff,” said David Wyatt, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN, AORN CEO & Executive Director. “This Center of Excellence for Surgical Safety designation shows the community that the surgical teams at Hugh Chatham Health are committed to providing high-quality care.”
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ABOUT AORN
Founded in 1949, AORN is the leading professional organization for perioperative nurses, supporting the practice of more than 200,000 perioperative nurses by providing evidence-based research, nursing education, standards and practice resources to enable optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. AORN unites and empowers perioperative nurses, healthcare organizations, and industry partners to support safe surgery for every patient, every time. For more information about AORN and its initiatives, visit www.aorn.org.
About Hugh Chatham Health (www.hughchatham.org) is a not-for-profit community health care network of physician clinics and an 81-bed acute care hospital that serves residents of the Yadkin Valley region of North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Recently becoming part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Hugh Chatham employs more than 900 teammates at its hospital, 24 medical practices, and home health agency. Headquartered in Elkin, North Carolina, Hugh Chatham has been nationally recognized for patient satisfaction, patient safety, and clinical quality.
