At the AAOS 2026 Annual Meeting last month in New Orleans, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons honored excellence and outstanding achievement in orthopaedics by announcing the recipients of its 2026 awards.

Erica D. Taylor, MD, MBA, FAAOS, a board-certified orthopaedic hand surgeon at Duke Health, was awarded the 2026 AAOS Impact Award for her leadership in expanding access to orthopaedic care and strengthening pathways into the profession across the United States. A nationally recognized clinical and systems leader, Dr. Taylor committed to a career in orthopaedic surgery at age 15, inspired by her mother, a lifelong educator, and her father, NFL Hall of Famer Charley Taylor.

At Duke Health, Dr. Taylor serves as vice president of health equity and vice chair of culture, engagement, and impact within the department of orthopaedic surgery, leading strategy at the intersection of quality, clinical operations, and access to care. She also serves on the faculty at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, teaching organizational dynamics and the delivery of high-quality care across diverse communities. She is the founder of a national leadership consortium that equips clinicians and healthcare leaders with practical tools to strengthen the orthopaedic workforce and improve care delivery.

Over the years, she has mentored hundreds of students, residents, and early-career surgeons and has partnered with institutions nationwide to develop scalable strategies that advance the field. Her work has also influenced how orthopaedic leaders and medtech partners collaborate, strengthening alignment between innovation, clinical practice, and patient care. Through her leadership, mentorship, and systems-based approach, Dr. Taylor is helping build the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons, improve care delivery, and prepare the field for the future.

Micah K. Sinclair, MD, FAAOS, a pediatric orthopaedic hand surgeon at Shriners Children’s Northern California, said of Dr. Taylor, “I have observed Dr. Taylor in a variety of different leadership roles, both in her hospital institution and in national organizations, always delivering a clear message of inclusion. Dr. Taylor thinks outside of the box and continually works to educate herself and those around her, fostering competence and inclusivity in the delivery of compassionate and humanistic care.”