NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull received national recognition as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety from the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), earning two prestigious awards for preventing retained surgical items and maintaining smoke-free operating rooms.
The Brooklyn hospital earned both the Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Prevention of Retained Surgical Items (RSI) Award and the Go Clear Award on March 25, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to minimizing surgical errors and enhancing patient safety through advanced education and training.
“At NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, patient safety is at the heart of everything we do. This recognition as an AORN Center of Excellence underscores our deep commitment to delivering the highest quality, safest care to our patients and community,” said Sandra Sneed, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull.
Retained surgical items — including sponges, instruments, tools, or devices unintentionally left in patients after surgery — are identified by The Joint Commission as the most common sentinel event in surgical and invasive procedures. The AORN designation recognizes hospitals that successfully implement evidence-based practices to prevent these incidents.
Woodhull achieved 100% completion of required education across all surgical team members, including nurses, ancillary staff, surgeons, and anesthesiologists, along with 100% audit compliance in both preventing retained surgical items and surgical smoke safety.
“We are grateful to collaborate with nursing leadership to achieve this important distinction for patient safety in our operating rooms. This is an important milestone on our journey from good to great,” said Dr. Ross MacDonald, Chief Medical Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull.
To earn the recognition, Woodhull underwent a comprehensive review and enhancement of existing surgical safety protocols, implemented adjunct technology and standardized procedures for instrument and sponge counting, and provided advanced training for surgical team members on best practices for preventing retained surgical items.
The Go Clear designation recognizes Woodhull for maintaining a surgical environment free of surgical smoke through 100% completion of AORN smoke safety training across all clinical disciplines and consistent availability and use of smoke evacuation equipment in every applicable surgical case.
“I am so proud of our team for achieving the gold standard with Go Clear and RSI. These are not just certifications to us; they’re a promise that we’re clearing the air of surgical smoke and maintaining an unwavering focus on patient safety,” said Dr. Javier Andrade, Chief of Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull.
Althea Senior-Morris, Chief Nursing Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, emphasized the collaborative approach: “This designation affirms our commitment to providing the best possible care in a safe environment to our community. This award epitomizes multidisciplinary teamwork which enhances our culture of safety through collaboration.”
The programs fostered a culture of open communication and collaboration within operating rooms to ensure all team members feel empowered to speak up about patient safety concerns. According to AORN CEO David Wyatt, “To keep pace with evolving surgical safety practices, facilities must adapt. This Center of Excellence designation reflects that commitment.”
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull serves as the major tertiary care provider in Brooklyn, receiving close to 480,000 ambulatory care visits and close to 100,000 emergency room visits annually. The hospital specializes in surgery, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, ambulatory care, emergency medicine, and behavioral health services.
Featured image: Submitted photo
