Photo: Cleveland Clinic Archives
Rupert Turnbull, MD, had no qualms about sharing his home phone number with patients and encouraging them to call him if they had any questions. A leading authority on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, he pioneered and perfected surgical techniques to correct various colorectal diseases. Dr. Turnbull and Norma Gill, RN (a former patient of his), founded the first school for the care and treatment of patients with external stomas. Grateful residents and fellows who trained under Dr. Turnbull formed the Rupert Turnbull Surgical Society in 1976.