Erik Martin is honored to be able to care for individuals of all ages when they are sick, hurt, or in crisis. As a provider, Erik focuses on making sure patients receive the individual attention they need to heal. For some patients this means providing a compassionate space to talk about deeply personal health issues. For others it means a follow-up call to make sure their pain is under control or that a child is doing well on a medication. Erik believes in supporting patients through the whole health process.

Erik discovered a love for medicine early in his career. After serving two years in the Army he became an EMT. From there, he joined the Yosemite High-Angle Search and Rescue Team. The experience allowed him to work more closely with patients and inspired him to take his training further. Erik earned a bachelor of science in biology from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. He attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, where he earned a master of science in physician assistant studies. Erik went on to work in the Legacy Emanuel Hospital Emergency Department, at Kaiser Permanente Urgent Care, and at Legacy Good Samaritan Urgent Care.

In addition to his regular job, Erik spent four years in the Oregon National Guard as a U.S. Army captain. He saw combat in the U.S. War in Afghanistan and provided disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina. While overseas, Erik founded Operation Outreach. The organization, which is still active today, helps transfer children out of the country for critical surgeries and brings medical supplies and providers to remote villages.

Away from medicine, Erik enjoys surfing year-round on the Oregon Coast, running through Forest Park, paddle boarding, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding. He and his wife, a Portland business owner, and their son enjoy traveling to his wife’s hometown on the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. There they have the opportunity to swim in marvelously blue waters with the area’s gentle whale sharks.