Dr. Patricia Turner Receives SUS Trailblazer Award

Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, ACS Executive Director & CEO, was honored with the Society of University Surgeons (SUS) Trailblazer Award earlier today during the 21st Annual Academic Congress in Orlando, Florida—a joint meeting of SUS and the Association for Academic Surgery.

“I am humbled to be joining the great pantheon of trailblazers who have received this award in previous years. It is an enormous honor to be counted among the awardees: [ACS Fellows] Dr. George Yang, Dr. Julie Freischlag, Dr. Robert Higgins, Dr. Carla Pugh, and Dr. Raphael Pollock,” Dr. Turner said in accepting the award. “These people, along with others, have served as my colleagues, my inspirations, and in some cases, my collaborators and friends. I believe that each of them has been instrumental in advancing the field of surgery. To be counted among them is a true honor.”

This award recognizes leaders who have established new avenues of investigation, often in areas beyond traditional surgical research, acting as role models for future generations.

As the head of the ACS since 2022, Dr. Turner has overseen College’s growth as a leading voice in surgery and medicine through its ongoing work in trauma, cancer, quality improvement, and advocacy. In recent years, the ACS has launched the Surgical Adhesions Improvement Project, assembling and funding expert surgeon-scientists who are attempting to address the pervasive problem of surgical adhesive disease. Through multiple programs, the College is seeking to improve surgery in rural areas, where shortages and lack of access to care are already a pressing reality. Work is also advancing on a National Trauma and Emergency Preparedness System, which would add nationwide coordination where none exists now.