Dr. Matthew Martinez Specially Trained in Sports Cardiology and HCM
Morristown, NJ--Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center, recognized nationally for its cardiac program, has expanded its Sports Cardiology and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) programs with the addition of Matthew Martinez, MD, FACC.
Dr. Martinez, medical director of Sports Cardiology at Atlantic Health System and co-director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, will initiate innovative research and develop multi-institution projects to improve care for athletes and patients with HCM, a hereditary medical condition where the walls of the heart become excessively thick.
As medical director of the Sports Cardiology program, Dr. Martinez will see athletes from all levels—recreational, high school, collegiate and professional—to diagnose and manage cardiovascular issues caused by genetic or acquired heart conditions. In addition, Dr. Martinez will manage the program’s robust volume of current athletes with known or suspected cardiovascular risk and determine individual capacity for physical activity by evaluating heart and vascular function. Dr. Martinez will also provide consultation for athletes and patients with HCM when they are admitted to the hospital.
Dr. Martinez is the cardiologist for the New York Jets, Major League Soccer and the National Basketball Association’s Player’s Association and serves as a cardiology second opinion physician for the National Football League and National Hockey League.
Dr. Martinez joins Martin Maron, MD, and Ethan Rowin, MD in the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program at Morristown Medical Center’s Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of HCM patients and a first-in-kind, multidisciplinary HCM program in New Jersey. Dr. Maron and Dr. Rowan see patients monthly at the Mast Center. Other members of the HCM team are Goryeb Children’s Hospital pediatric cardiologists Stuart Kaufman, MD and Suzanne Mone, MD.
Because of its symptoms—shortness of breath, chest pain, or fainting especially during exercise, rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeats, or a heart murmur—diagnosing HCM can be difficult and treating it can be complex. The Mast Center provides patients convenient access to specialists, individualized, coordinated multidisciplinary evaluation, imaging and diagnostics, and the latest in devices and treatment options. The center also provides education and community outreach to help protect young athletes from sudden cardiac death.
“We are proud to offer athletes of all ages and abilities and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy an unparalleled level of cardiac care with the addition of Dr. Martinez,” said Linda D. Gillam, MD, MPH, FACC, FASE, the Dorothy and Lloyd Huck Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at Morristown Medical Center and medical director of the cardiovascular service line for Atlantic Health System. “Dr. Martinez’s highly specialized training in both specialties is incredibly unique, and will help expand and enhance our already strong sports cardiology and HCM programs so more patients can access world-class specialty care.”
Dr. Martinez is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), where he was noted as an emerging faculty member in 2009. He served as Chair of the Sports and Exercise cardiology section for the ACC for the past three years and routinely speaks nationally and internationally on care of the athlete and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where he was a scholarship baseball player. He earned his medical degree at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, and did his internship, residency and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education.
He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Martinez or for more information on the Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, call 973-971-5899 or visit https://www.atlantichealth.org/conditions-treatments/heart-care/treatment-services/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy.html.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Martinez or for more information on Atlantic Health System’s Sports Cardiology program, call 973-971-5194 or visit https://www.atlantichealth.org/conditions-treatments/heart-care/diagnostic-services/sports-cardiology.html
About Heart Care at Atlantic Health System
Morristown Medical Center, the hub of heart care at Atlantic Health System, is one of the top 30 programs in the country for Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery (U.S. News & World Report) and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care (Healthgrades).
Its expert team presents research across the world and is comprised of cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart failure experts, and advanced imagers.
The program also offers specialty care for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, sports cardiology, cardio-oncology, pediatric cardiology, and heart disease in women. The team works closely with community cardiologists who provide a medical home for patients with heart disease.
Atlantic Health System Heart Care is focused on offering minimally-invasive and non-invasive procedures that help patients return to their lives faster, including valve replacement options for the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve, and is helping pioneer the radial (wrist) approach for angioplasties, which is typically a one-day length of stay.
Morristown Medical Center is home to the largest cardiac surgery and cath lab in New Jersey and offers many of the most up-to-date cardiac imaging technologies available.
Patients from Atlantic Health’s four community hospitals are seamlessly connected to Morristown when advanced cardiovascular care is necessary thanks to an infrastructure that includes helipads and ambulance transport and an electronic health record system that allows physicians to share health records in real-time.
Because of its infrastructure to support research through the Atlantic Center for Research, volume, and earned credibility with the sponsors of trials—pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device companies—Atlantic Health System Heart Care is able to offer cutting edge and novel clinical trials that offer patients access to the latest advancements in cardiac care.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System has a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional patient outcomes and experiences. Home to seven award-winning hospitals including Morristown Medical Center, the number one hospital in NJ according to U.S. News & World Report, Castle Connelly and Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals, the system has been ranked first in New Jersey in consumer preference by Monigle and first among health systems in New Jersey as a “best workplace” by both Modern Healthcare and Fortune Magazine.
Many of the system’s programs have received national accolades and designations, including Morristown Medical Center’s Cardiology and Heart Surgery program ranked among the top 30 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report; Morristown Medical Center’s Orthopedics program ranked among the top 35 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and Atlantic Health System’s Cancer Care program, New Jersey’s first and only National Cancer Institute National Community Oncology Research Program. Additionally, Atlantic Health System Neuroscience at Overlook Medical Center, working with Atlantic Mobile Health, was the first in the nation to deploy and use portable Telestroke technology in ambulances for routine pre-hospital assessment of stroke patients.
Powered by a passionate workforce of 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey, including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system provides care for the full continuum of health needs across a wide array of settings, including Atlantic Medical Group, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,000 physicians and providers, 12 urgent care centers, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, Atlantic Home Care and Hospice and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating connections between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
With a clear sense of purpose and an unparalleled culture, Atlantic Health System attracts top leaders in the field of health care, from CEO Brian Gragnolati, who is currently Chairman of the American Hospital Association, to the numerous team members who serve as leaders across national clinical associations and research entities.