Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, formally assumed the role of Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on January 1, 2022, ushering in a new era of leadership for the educational and professional society for surgeons. Dr. Turner succeeds David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, MAMSE, who led the ACS for the past 12 years.
“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 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).
Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS
Professional Experience and Training
Before joining the ACS Executive Leadership team, Dr. Turner spent 8 years in academic practice on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. In this role, she served as 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, DC. At Howard, she also conducted 2 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 an MBA at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.
