Occasionally, we will spotlight a Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences – School of Dental Medicine team member in our newsletter.
Ms. Turner was born in Landstuhl, Germany, and is the daughter and wife of Army Veterans. She began her dental career in 2001 in California as a dental receptionist and then obtained her Registered Dental Assistant licensure and certification as an Oral Surgical Assistant.
During her time as an RDA, she continued to further her education by obtaining a degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Substance Abuse to assist patients she encountered who were seeking pain medications vs. recommended treatment. After being diagnosed with nerve damage to her shoulder, Ms. Turner could not walk away from dentistry, so she returned to working in the front office as an office manager, leading her to become a dental assistant instructor.
Ms. Turner worked for two years as the Lead Dental Assistant Instructor at PIMA Medical Institute in Renton, WA, where she brought in her clinical skills from California and helped to restructure the program. In that role, she found her passion for helping her community and the young adults she encountered for the better. Since her time at PIMA, seven dental assistant students have become dental hygienists, and she is still in contact with many of her previous students. It was through her work that Delta Dental of Washington noticed her, so she applied for a role as Provider Ambassador in 2019.
In 2019, Ms. Turner began her new adventure as Provider Ambassador. Then, in 2021, she was promoted to Program Manager of Dental Workforce Diversity and Inclusion, where she developed the Dental Professional Pathways Program (DPPP). Between 2021 and 2023, DPPP ultimately served over 1,100 students across Washington State by introducing youth and young adults to the world of dentistry and increasing the diversity of the dental workforce. Her tireless efforts were noted across Delta Dental of Washington, to which she was awarded both the CEO Innovation Award and the Puget Sound Business Journal Healthcare Hero’s Award in 2023. Due to her passion and love for dentistry and wanting to continue to increase the dental workforce and its diversity, Ms. Turner wanted to do more for the state of Washington and its access to finding providers that represent the community needs, which her involvement with the governance department at DDWA, resulted in House Bill 1503 being signed into law so that Washington State will now have demographic information on all medical and dental providers in the state.
Since joining PNWU-SDM, Ms. Turner was selected to become a Board Member of the BIPOC Health Careers Ecosystem. She continues co-leading the Black/African American Dental Professionals Community group with the Washington State Dental Association.
When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends, traveling, and watching documentaries about anything and anyone.
When asked, “What makes you smile?” Ms. Turner responded, “Listening to the achievements of those lives I have had the pleasure of being a part of and watching them let go of fear to become who they want to become. That makes me smile!”
