Executive Director Pain Medicine Services
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Clemmons, North Carolina, United States
Dr. Robert W. Hurley is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Division Chief of Pain Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Pain Medicine journal and Executive Director of the Pain Service Line at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Dr. Hurley completed his MD and PhD in Neurobiology at the University of Chicago, followed by residency in Anesthesiology and fellowship in Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins. His research focuses on improving pain management and opioid prescribing practices, with over $50 million in current NIH funding as principal or co-investigator. Dr. Hurley has published extensively, with over 100 peer-reviewed articles and an H-index of 44. He has co-authored multiple clinical practice guidelines, including international consensus guidelines on cervical spine interventions. As an educator, Dr. Hurley has mentored numerous fellows, residents, and junior faculty. He has held leadership roles in national organizations like the American Academy of Pain Medicine and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Dr. Hurley's clinical innovations include developing standardized pain treatment protocols and implementing patient-reported outcome systems. His work has impacted national health policy, including contributions to CMS quality measures for pain management.