Steven Turnipseed

A consummate medical professional, Steven D. Turnipseed has left his mark on the Physician Assistant (PA) field. He became the first African American graduate of the University of Washington’s MEDEX Northwest PA Training Program and went on to serve as a Founding Director of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Steven D. Turnipseed co-founded the AAPA’s Minority Affairs Committee and African American Caucus and became one of the organization’s first representatives to the Joint Review Committee for Accreditation of Physician Assistant Education. In addition, Steven D. Turnipseed accepted an appointment to the National Board of Medical Examiners’ Test Writing Committee, which developed the first PA national certifying exam. Steven D. Turnipseed graduated from SUNY Empire State College in New York with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration. At the University of Washington, he earned a Master’s degree in Public Health. As an educator, Steven D. Turnipseed assisted in developing PA programs at several prominent universities and hospitals, including the University of Alabama, the University of Utah, Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, and the School of Allied Health at Howard University Medical School. As an instructor in the PA Program at Stony Brook University in New York, he became one of the first PA educators to attain the level of Assistant Professor. Over the years, Steven D. Turnipseed presented numerous lectures on such topics as “Black Families at Risk: A Health Care Perspective,” “Future Roles for Physician Assistants,” and “Drug-Related Problems of Teenagers.” An article he co-authored, “Training Physician Assistants for the Northwest,” appeared in the Western Journal of Medicine. Possessing credentials as a Founding Director of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and member of the PA Hall of Fame, Steven D. Turnipseed formerly served as a member of the Political Caucus of the California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA). As an AAPA supporter, Steven D. Turnipseed co-founded key committees and assisted in developing the first PA national certifying exam. Formerly the Director of Surgical Services at Beverly Hills Medical Center, Steven D. Turnipseed now provides primary care PA services for family practice and industrial injury patients at Centro Medico Santa Cruz. In addition, he owns and operates 3T Associates, Inc., a health care company.