Located in Palmerton, Pennsylvania and founded in 1989, St. Luke’s Carbon Surgical Associates has established itself in Northeastern Pennsylvania as a leader in minimally invasive acute care general surgery. From the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the early 1990’s to the performance of the first hand assisted laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of benign and malignant colorectal disease at St. Luke’s Blue Mountain Campus, I have remained committed to providing the highest quality of care to the residents of the region.
My dedication to personal fitness has had a profound impact on my professional life, providing the physical and mental strength necessary to provide the highest quality of care to the acutely ill general surgery patient in their hour of greatest need.
I earned my medical degree in 1995 from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I completed a general surgery residency in 2000 at the Guthrie Clinic and Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania and became a diplomat of the American Board of Surgery in 2001. I was re-certified by the board in 2009 after I scored in the top 16 percent nationally on the general surgery recertification examination. In addition to my time with St. Luke’s Carbon Surgical Associates, I am currently a clinical instructor for physician assistant students from various programs and an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery with the Geisinger Medical College in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
When not in the operating room I am an accomplished athlete. I finished 15 marathons, including six Boston marathons and was the fourth American finisher in the 2002 Casino Niagara International Marathon. In 2012, I finished my first full IronMan Triathlon in Lake Placid, New York. In 2017, I completed the Eastern States 100, a 100-mile trail run around the Pine Creek Gorge, in 31 hours, 5 minutes.
“Dr Martinez has been practicing medicine for over 25 years. He is an asset to St Lukes.”
5/19/2025