A groundbreaking start brings decades of care & education for women
Wendy Martinez, MD FACOG, NCMP Founder, Advocare The Women’s Group for OBGYN
When Wendy Martinez, MD, founded The Women’s Group for OB/GYN in 1991, she created the first all-female Ob/Gyn practice in South Jersey. It was a groundbreaking move, and changed the face of women’s healthcare in South Jersey.
The decision to open the all-female practice came from personal experience: Dr. Martinez had been working as the only female physician in an all-male practice. She quickly realized that many patients being treated by her male partners would book a separate appointment with her to discuss issues they were too embarrassed to talk to her male colleagues about.
“A lot of women are just more comfortable discussing their reproductive and sexual issues with a female doctor,” Dr. Martinez says. “A male doctor doesn’t have that firsthand experience.”
Throughout her more than 35 years as an Ob/Gyn, Dr. Martinez has continued to care for women of all ages in an empowering manner, educating them about their health so they are able to make smart decisions. She also understands the importance of caring, listening and educating when she is with patients. “Patients tell me that most physicians today don’t take the time to listen or explain things to them. I find that very disheartening,” she adds.
“My philosophy has always been to treat my patients as I would treat my own family. Every day I get to help women and advocate for their health. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that.”
Dr. Martinez has developed one of the largest surgical practices at Virtua, where she is highly respected for her expertise in laparoscopic and laser surgeries, as well as outpatient hysteroscopic removal of polyps and fibroids, and vaginal reconstructive surgery for vaginal prolapse. She performs cancer surgery, outpatient endometrial thermal ablation for heavy periods, fibroid surgery and laparoscopic removal of ovaries, tubes and the uterus. Plus, she provides routine gynecologic exams and counseling, while also caring for pregnant women, including those with a high-risk pregnancy.
“My philosophy has always been to treat my patients as I would treat my own family,” she says. “Every day I get to help women and advocate for their health. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that.”
Today, Dr. Martinez passionately enjoys caring for women at all stages of life – from adolescence through the births of children and well past menopause (sometimes caring for several generations of women in one family). She is proud that she still delivers babies regularly in South Jersey, while also dedicating her time to educating and assisting women as they manage their ever-changing bodies in the post-reproductive years. In fact, Dr. Martinez has been a member of The North American Menopause Society for more than 25 years and is one of only a handful of doctors who are NAMS-certified menopause practitioners in New Jersey.
“Menopause is something no one wants to talk about – and if they do, it’s in whispers,” she says. “But it’s something every woman will go through, and when you have a physician to guide you, you can manage your symptoms in ways that make the change much less scary. So instead of pretending it’ll never happen, we should embrace this change and learn how to manage the symptoms.”
Because of her extensive knowledge of women’s health issues (and decades of experience caring for women of all ages), Dr. Martinez is regularly asked to lecture on exercise, nutrition, herbal supplements, osteoporosis, menopause and sex education.
“When women have the right information, they can make informed choices concerning their health,” Dr. Martinez says. “Getting them this important information has been my lifelong passion.”
