Periop Leader Week 2026 · Savannah, GA

Periop Leader
Awards

Recognizing the leaders who elevate surgical care, strengthen their teams, and drive the future of perioperative services.

Nominations close August 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Submit a Nomination

About the Awards

Why These Awards Matter

The Periop Leader Awards honor perioperative leaders who are making strides to better the experience of surgical patients, improve OR operations, drive healthcare innovation, and inspire the next generation of perioperative leaders.

Nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges who evaluate the overall impact and significance of each nominee's contributions — not a checklist of requirements.

Three finalists per category will be invited to Periop Leader Week 2026
Award ceremony held on-site in Savannah, GA
Winners published online following the ceremony
The same person may not be nominated in more than one category

Nomination Deadline August 15, 2026 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Know someone who deserves recognition? Nominate a perioperative leader or team that has made a meaningful difference in surgical care, operations, or their community.

Submit a Nomination

2026 Award Categories

Three Awards. One Community.

Each award recognizes a different dimension of perioperative leadership — from hospital OR to outpatient surgery center to the team as a whole.

🏆

Periop Leader of the Year

Recognizes an exceptional perioperative leader who inspires their team, fosters collaboration across departments, drives operational excellence, and continually works to improve patient care and staff engagement throughout the surgical environment.

🏅

ASC Leader of the Year

Honors an outstanding ambulatory surgery center leader who advances outpatient surgical care, supports their team, improves operations, and drives innovation within the fast-paced ASC environment.

🤝

Periop Team of the Year

Recognizes an exceptional perioperative team that demonstrates collaboration, innovation, resilience, and a shared commitment to outstanding patient care across the surgical continuum — from pre-op through recovery.

Judging Criteria

What Judges Look For

Nominations are evaluated holistically by a panel of judges. Here are the dimensions they consider:

01 Actions taken that helped a facility, department, team, or ASC achieve or exceed operational, financial, clinical, patient experience, or staff engagement goals.
02 Leadership initiatives that resulted in measurable improvements in patient care, safety, workflow efficiency, team culture, staff retention, or professional development.
03 Quality or process improvement efforts — including innovative approaches to staffing, communication, collaboration, education, or operational challenges.
04 Contributions that strengthened multidisciplinary teamwork, supported the broader perioperative community, improved community health, or addressed organization-wide challenges.
05 Creative solutions, innovations, or initiatives that positively impacted perioperative operations, patient outcomes, or the employee experience.

Nominees are not expected to meet every criterion. Judges evaluate the overall impact and significance of the accomplishments shared in the nomination.

Know Someone Who
Deserves Recognition?

Nominate a perioperative leader or team that has made a meaningful difference in surgical care, operations, or their community.

Nominations close August 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
Submit a Nomination

Questions? Contact Joe Paone, Content Director, at jpaone@accessintel.com

Periop LeaderAwards