UB MED DOCTOR VISITS
Photos by Douglas Levere
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to help patients manage diseases of the liver and offer them new treatments.”
ADVANCED TREATMENTS FOR LIVER DISEASE Anthony Martinez brings timely expertise to Buffalo
Anthony Martinez, MD, reels off the daunting statistics related to liver disease with an ease L o r i F e r g U S o n born of familiarity. For example, he says, there are currently about 6 million people in the U.S. infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the majority of whom were born between 1945 and 1965. Martinez is a specialist in diseases of the liver, including viral hepatitis and alcoholic and fatty liver disease. He’s on the front lines of fighting these maladies, and he’s incredibly excited to be there. As clinical associate professor in UB’s Department of Medicine and medical director of hepatology at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), Martinez is involved in every aspect of the battle against liver disease. He manages comprehensive liver disease clinics at ECMC and Buffalo General Medical Center, as well as at a third clinic at ECMC that specializes in patients with a HCV/HIV coinfection. He teaches fellows, residents and medical students who rotate through the clinics; participates in clinical trials; and, among other collaborations, works with faculty in UB’s Research Institute on Addictions on ways to link opiate-dependent HCV patients with care. He also studies new ways to deliver HCV treatments, and is currently taking part in a CDC-funded telemedicine study with a methadone clinic in New York City. StorieS
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WINTER 2015
UB MEDICINE
A native of Providence, RI, Martinez completed his residency in internal medicine at Boston University and a fellowship in hepatitis C evaluation and management and addiction medicine at Cornell University. His mentor at Cornell, Andrew Talal, MD, was later recruited to UB, and it was he who encouraged Martinez to come here. Martinez joined the UB faculty in 2013 from the University of California at San Diego. He was attracted, he says, by a gut feeling and the chance to make a difference. “When I first visited Buffalo, I felt something happening that’s tough to explain. I found the city’s energy incredibly compelling, I loved the people I encountered and I was eager to get back to a four-season climate. “I was really impressed by the university’s leadership and the direction the school was going in,” Martinez continues, “and I was excited to be a part of it. At the time I was recruited, the liver programs at ECMC and Buffalo General were in their nascence, and I saw a huge opportunity to participate in their development and have a major impact on the community. It’s incredibly fulfilling to help patients manage diseases of the liver and offer them new treatments. “Buffalo is an amazing, historic city and I’m thrilled to be here with my wife and daughter,” Martinez says. “I’ve received a great deal of support since I started. I’m out in the community a lot, talking to patients and providers, and everyone is interested in educational initiatives. The relocation of the medical school is really drawing people back to downtown. Many young professionals are recognizing the remarkable opportunities here and they’re jumping in with both feet. I view my time here as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”