By Joe Louis Gomez
Photos By Leonel Munoz
What remains at the heart of a practice dedicated to the well-being of all women in the Valley are the cultural ties that make Clinica Santa Maria one of the greatest places for patients and especially the doctors who thrive there, according to Dr. Martha Martinez, a doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
After more than two decades, patients should know that the minute they step foot into Clinica Santa Maria, they can expect to be seen by a doctor who will spend all the time necessary so they make good choices when it comes to their health, according to Dr. Martinez.
Staying true to the mission statement, which is to provide quality comprehensive care to the people of Brownsville out of three locations on Price Road, Los Ebanos and Southmost, Dr. Martinez is part of a team of four doctors and three nurse practitioners who comprise the medical group practice that has operated in the region for nearly three decades.
“My philosophy is you have to treat every patient as if she was your mother or your sister. That’s kind of our motto in the clinic too. We really try to be there for everyone who needs care,” said Dr. Martinez, who has been with Clinica Santa Maria from the beginning in 1988.
“I’ve been very happy for the last 23 years. Whether it’s from our nurse practitioners or any of our staff, it’s a great environment, and a great place to work,” she said.
Growing up in Brownsville, Dr. Martinez said it was the cultural ties that drew her back to the Rio Grande Valley following medical school. Heritage in particular plays a huge part in how she interacts with patients, she said.
“I think we have the best of both worlds here. We have the staff with that unique Hispanic influence, and I think it works very nicely in Brownsville, which is already a very unique town to begin with. You really don’t have the same kind of culture anywhere else. I wanted to come back to my hometown and contribute, and to be part of that community,” Dr. Martinez said.
Born and raised in Brownsville, Dr. Martinez is a graduate from the University of Texas-Pan American, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she completed her residency.
Speaking with a passion for women’s care, along with the thousands of babies she has delivered over the years, and who in turn come back when they are having their own children, Dr. Martinez says it’s her own community of Brownsville that has shaped her practice in countless ways.
“The reason I chose to work here is because from the very beginning, it has always been about taking care of everybody. It doesn’t matter whether they’re wealthy or women who have government assistance, or even women who don’t any help at all. We take care of everyone,” Dr. Martinez said.
“That’s the way I work. I try to treat everyone the same. I try to make sure my patients are born, that they make good choices, and they have all the information they need to thrive,” she said. “The strength of Clinica Santa Maria is how it functions with the people who represent all different backgrounds and types.”
“I’m kind to everyone. It doesn’t matter if I’ve seen them 30 times in the office or if it’s the first time I’ve seen them,” she said.
