Dr. Patricia L. Turner takes helm of American College of Surgeons

CHICAGO, Jan. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, formally assumed the role of Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on January 1, ushering in a new era of leadership for the world's premier educational and professional society for surgeons.

"ACS represents the entire House of Surgery, and it's an honor to steer this incredible organization with a rich history of leadership in our field, especially at this critical time in health care," said Dr. Turner, who is a general surgeon and specializes in minimally invasive surgery. "As surgeons, we thrive on innovation, collaboration, creativity, and above all, caring for our patients. I look forward to applying the skills and work ethic I developed in the operating room to the organization that is so important to our members and the millions of patients we care for every year."

"Dr. Turner is an exceptional leader and surgeon – constantly pushing the envelope for her patients and for our profession to ensure that we provide the highest quality care," said ACS Board of Regents Chair Anton N. Sidawy, MD, MPH, FACS, MAMSE. "Under Dr. Turner's leadership and work, the College has strengthened its connection to our surgeons, which advances the College's professional standards and quality care initiatives for the betterment of our patients. As our new Executive Director, Dr. Turner will build a culture that fosters creativity and innovation as we strive to deliver optimal support to our members."

As the Director of Member Services, Dr. Turner successfully grew the College's membership every year by appealing to the diverse and evolving needs of surgeons across the country and around the world. She is also responsible for implementing or enhancing several programs to increase impact and streamline operations to better support surgeons in all practice settings, specialties, and stages of their careers. These programs include the annual ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit, the Intimate Partner Violence Task Force, and Operation Giving Back, the College's signature volunteer initiative.

Dr. Turner succeeds David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, MAMSE, who led the ACS for the last 12 years.

"Dr. Hoyt leaves the ACS well-positioned for continued success and primed to continue our critical work on behalf of our more than 84,000 members around the world," Dr. Turner said. "Our quality and education programs set the standard in so many ways. We'll build on our many successes in the coming months and years."  

Before joining the ACS Executive Leadership team, Dr. Turner spent eight years in academic practice on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. In this role, she served as the surgery residency program director and medical director of the surgical acute care unit. Dr. Turner is currently on the faculty in the department of surgery at University of Chicago Medicine

Dr. Turner is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Wake Forest University. She trained as a surgical intern and resident at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. At Howard, she also conducted two years of bench research for the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She completed her fellowship training in minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Weill-Cornell University School of Medicine, and Columbia University School of Medicine. Recently, she earned a Master of Business Administration at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.

In addition to her work as a surgeon and with the College, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and OceanFirst Bank (OCFC). She chairs the ACS Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates and is past-chair of the AMA Council on Medical Education, past-chair of the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association, and past-president of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons.

Dr. Turner is an active member of other surgical specialty societies, including the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, the American Surgical Association, Southern Surgical Association, Southeastern Surgical Congress, Society of University Surgeons, Association of Women Surgeons, Associación Colombiana De Cirugia (honorary member), and Latino Surgical Society.

About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 84,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org (.)

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SOURCE American College of Surgeons