Erica D. Taylor, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Receives 2026 Impact Award
AAOS presented Erica D. Taylor, MD, MBA, FAAOS, with 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 health care 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.
According to Micah K. Sinclair, MD, FAAOS, a pediatric orthopaedic hand surgeon at Shriners Children’s Northern California, “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.”
About the Award
The AAOS Impact Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in reducing barriers that limit entry into the field of orthopaedics in the U.S. The Impact Award identifies living Academy Fellows and Emeritus Fellows who have distinguished themselves through an outstanding committment to making orthopaedics more representative of and accessible to the entire population it serves.
This award is presented each year at the AAOS Annual Meeting. Recipients receive a $5,000 honorarium.
Candidates for the award will be evaluated for activities that include:
- Actively working to reduce obstacles that prevent individuals from entering the field of orthopaedics in the U.S.
- Acting as a role model to colleagues and leading by example in promoting engagement.
- Making a lasting impact on expanding the composition of our professional community.
- Recruiting and encouraging students from all backgrounds and experiences to pursue careers in orthopaedic surgery.
- Sponsoring, mentoring, and/or guiding orthopaedic trainees and early career orthopaedic surgeons from all backgrounds and experiences.
- Promotes the advancement of knowledge about the prevalence of healthcare deserts, their locations, and effective strategies for improvement through teaching in a clinical or non-clinical setting; through research and publishing scholarly work; or through other leadership roles.
Who is Eligible?
- Must be an AAOS Active Academy Fellow or Emeritus Fellow in good standing
- Cannot be a current member of the AAOS Community Advisory Board
- Cannot have served on the AAOS Community Advisory Board, as voting member or chair, within the three years prior to the award year
- Cannot be a current member of the AAOS Board of Directors
- Cannot have served on the AAOS Board of Directors within the three years prior to the award year
- If selected to receive the award, the candidate agrees to attend the AAOS Annual Meeting at his or her own expense
- Agrees to release his or her image and an approved biography of his or her diversity activities for publicity purposes
- Must be nominated by a sponsor
Who May Nominate/Sponsor a Nominee?
- AAOS Fellows in good standing, Candidate members eligible for fellowship, and Emeritus Fellows
- Orthopaedic residents who have directly and professionally benefited from the activities of the nominee
- Sponsor cannot be a current member of the AAOS Community Advisory Board
- Sponsor cannot have served on the AAOS Community Advisory Board, as voting member or chair, within the three years prior to the award year
- Sponsor cannot be a current member of the AAOS Board of Directors
Previous AAOS Diversity Award Winners
Thomas P. Sculco, MD, FAAOS
2025 AAOS Diversity Award
Boris A. Zelle, MD, FAAOS, FAOA
2024 Diversity Award Winner
Mary I. O'Connor, MD, FAOA, FAAHKS, FAAOS
2023 Diversity Award Winner
Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, FAAOS
2022 Diversity Award Winner
Lisa L. Lattanza, MD, FAOA, FAAOS
2021 Diversity Award Winner
James A. Hill, MD, FAAOS
2020 Diversity Award Winner
Michael L. Parks, MD, FAAOS
2019 Diversity Award Winner
Mark Gebhardt, MD, FAAOS
2018 Diversity Award Winner
Richard E. Grant, MD, FAAOS
2017 Diversity Award Winner