Welcome to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Welcome to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, a fully integrated academic medical center located in Winston-Salem, NC. The institution comprises the medical education and research components of Wake Forest School of Medicine; the integrated clinical structure and consumer brand Wake Forest Baptist Health; the commercialization of research discoveries through Wake Forest Innovations, and a network of affiliated community-based hospitals, physician practices, outpatient services and other medical facilities.

Wake Forest Innovations - Wake Forest Innovations establishes and manages new businesses and partnerships, based on innovative products and services arising from the ideas, discoveries and scientific research assets of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Davie Hospital - Established in 1956, Davie Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital that offers inpatient nursing services, emergency care, and a range of healthcare services.

Lexington Medical Center - A not-for-profit facility located in Davidson County, Lexington Medical Center operates 94 acute care beds and serves as a satellite provider of Wake Forest Baptist Health specialty services.

Community Benefits

Volunteers work in the community garden at Downtown Health Plaza.

As Forsyth County's largest employer and northwest North Carolina's only academic medical center, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is committed to providing community benefits to those we serve.

Those benefits take many forms—everything from community outreach to research to charity care and our efforts for those in need. In 2011, the Medical Center provided more than $237 million in community benefits as reported to the state of North Carolina and the federal government, a 32 percent increase from the 2010 fiscal year.

Find out more about our Community Benefits numbers and programs.

About Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Wake Forest Baptist in the News

Regular Moderate Exercise Does Not Worsen Pain in People with Fibromyalgia

For many people who have fibromyalgia, even the thought of exercising is painful. Yet a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that exercise does not worsen the pain associated with the disorder and may even lessen it over time. The findings are published in the current online issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research. According to Dennis Ang, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and senior author of the study, doing light to moderate exercise over a prolonged period of time improves overall symptoms, such as fatigue and trouble sleeping, while not increasing pain.
• Read coverage in Health24 and Medical News Today
• Read the recent research news release
• Visit Rheumatology

Migrant Farmworkers

Ongoing research from The Center for Worker Health looks at occupational health issues related to migrant farm work. Recent studies have looked at housing conditions, water quality and pesticides.

Read the most recent releases on food facilities and water quality.

View news coverage on the topic.

Learn more about The Center for Worker Health.

Will Replacement Organs One Day be Printed?

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is a leader in research to "print" replacement tissues and organs. Work that started out on a modified inkjet printer has advanced to custom-designed machines that are attracting national attention for their innovation.

Read about the institute's Edison Award for innovation.
Learn about the 3-D printing, including the institute's projects, in The Smithsonian.
Visit our website to see a 3-D printer in action.

Survived Cancer? Now Look Out for Cardiovascular Risks

New research finds that cardiovascular disease risk factors may be overlooked during survivorship care for people who beat cancer. The study highlights the need for more awareness by cancer survivors and their doctors to plan for good health following cancer treatment

Read the coverage at Science Daily.
Learn more about cancer survivorship.
Visit the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Migraine Headache Triggers Tricky to Pinpoint

Daily fluctuations of variables – such as weather, diet, hormone levels, sleep, physical activity and stress – make it difficult for patients and their doctors to figure out for themselves what causes their headaches, according to a new study from researcher Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D, associate professor of anesthesia and neurology.

Review coverage by the Huffington Post and Yahoo!News.
Read the original news release.
Learn more about migraines and visit the Neurology department.

Too Much Caffeine May Be Harmful to Youths

Mary Claire O'Brien, M.D., Emergency Medicine, is among a group of scientists, researchers and public health officials urging the FDA to take action to regulate caffeine in energy drinks. Based on the scientific evidence they have reviewed, they conclude that there is neither sufficient evidence of safety nor a consensus of scientific opinion to conclude that the high levels of added caffeine in energy drinks are safe under the conditions of their intended use, as required by the FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) standards for food additives. To the contrary, the best available scientific evidence demonstrates a robust correlation between the caffeine levels in energy drinks and adverse health and safety consequences, particularly among children, adolescents, and young adults.