Richard Manuel Martinez MD, FAAP, FACC, FASE

Richard Manuel Martinez, M.D., FAAP, FACC, FASE, decided at a very young age he wanted to pursue medicine. Luckily, Dr. Martinez’s great uncle was a physician who provided him with a great mentor. Growing up with asthma issues, Dr. Martinez was initially interested in pursuing allergy research, but it wasn’t until he worked with a wonderful group of clinicians at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, that he found his true calling in pediatric cardiology. In 1986, Dr. Martinez joined Pediatric Cardiology Associates in Tampa, Florida. The practice joined MEDNAX in 2008. Dr. Martinez's primary clinical interests are adult congenital heart disease, echocardiography, and cardio-pulmonary exercise testing.

Dr. Martinez and his team at Pediatric Cardiology Associates have partnered with many organizations over the years—such as The Children’s Heart Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Adult Congenital Heart Association—to give back to the community and raise awareness for congenital heart disease. “My favorite events we participate in are the walks put together by our partner organizations,” he says. “They are such fun days! We get to spend time with each other as a team outside of work and with the patients and families we care for.”

Earlier in his career, Dr. Martinez worked very closely with surrounding universities and children’s hospitals, presenting new research findings in the field. For him, these conferences were a great opportunity to connect with other cardiologists and get to know students in medical school.