Dr. Branden Turner, assistant physician in charge at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw medical offices, is a proud L.A. native who is a compassionate healer deeply rooted in South Los Angeles.
Dr. Turner, who’s a family and sports medicine physician, grew up in very humble beginnings in a South L.A. neighborhood that was beset by gang violence and drug addicts, but he overcame the temptation to choose the wrong path in life. He credits that to his mother – a teacher who kept him focused on academics, sports and enrichment programs – for leaving him with little idle time to get into trouble.
“While attending middle and high school, I remember being approached by people trying to bring wrong influences on me, and I needed to escape those interactions,” Dr. Turner recalled. “I would run home to escape gangs, shootings and violence. But, I kept my focus on school and after graduating from high school, I attended the University of California, Berkeley.”
After a short stint working as a substitute and algebra teacher in Oakland, Dr. Turner returned to Los Angeles where he was accepted to USC’s School of Medicine. Upon graduating, he completed his residency in family and sports medicine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.
Currently working at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Medical Office Building, just blocks from his childhood home, Dr. Turner is not only a dedicated, caring and compassionate physician, but he’s also an advocate for his community.
Dr. Turner, who lives in Ladera Heights, never forgot his roots. Inspired by his single mother and grandmother’s legacy, he co-founded TRAP Medicine in 2017, a non-profit that disseminates medical information through innovative channels like barbershops and social media to the Black community.
Dr. Turner’s commitment to translating complex medical concepts into accessible language shows his passion for empowering his community. “I also want to serve as a role model to young Black men and women, with the message that the sky is the limit,” he said.
Dr. Turner’s community engagement also includes providing services during health fairs, participating in community cleanups and feeding the homeless on weekends, something he recalls doing at the young age of 5.
Reflecting on his role as a doctor and a community advocate, he notes, “It’s a blessing and an honor to get to work in and serve my community that played such a vital role in making me the person who I am today; I couldn’t ask for more! I grew up when no one gave me information related to health who sounded and looked like me. Getting information that you can trust and motivating the next generation of young Black men and women to become doctors or healthcare experts is what keeps me going.
“Being a doctor is a blessing to me,” Dr. Turner concludes. “It provides me with the means to help my community in a positive way. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
