Neil Martin, M.D.
Interim Executive Director of Saint Johns Cancer Institute

Neil A. Martin, MD

Director of Innovation and Quality
Neurosurgery

Neil A. Martin, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) and Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. As Regional Medical Director of Neuroscience for Providence Southern California, he helps oversee and direct neuroscience activities of the 13 Providence ministries across Los Angeles and Orange counties and in the High Desert.

Dr. Martin’s neurosurgical practice at PNI focuses on patients with facial pain syndromes such as trigeminal neuralgia, skull base tumors, aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations.

At PNI Foundation, he serves as Director of Innovation and Quality and focuses his efforts on programmatic development, particularly in the Pacific Facial Pain, Brain Tumor, Brain Health and Stroke & Neurovascular Centers. He is a neurosurgical fellowship training mentor. Dr. Martin aids with recruitment of new PNI faculty and assists in PNI Foundation fundraising efforts.

A major asset at PNI neurosurgery, Dr. Martin is uniquely qualified for the regional medical directorship role. With his 30-year experience at UCLA, including Department Chair from 2008-2016, and his most recent three-year experience as Chair of Geisinger Neuroscience Institute in Pennsylvania, he has a rare skill set.

Dr. Martin is considered one of the leading skull base and neurovascular neurosurgeons in the U.S., having trained countless residents and fellows, overseen numerous clinical trials and NIH grants, and authored almost 300 peer-reviewed publications. From a healthcare administrative perspective, throughout his career, he has focused on neuroscience innovation, quality of care, efficiency and reducing costs.

Prior to joining PNI, during his recent 3 years with Geisinger, Dr. Martin had many accomplishments benefitting the 12-hospital system, including developing two new comprehensive stroke centers and deploying a regional telestroke/teleneurology network.

As chief quality officer, along with colleagues from across the organization, he developed a system-wide surgical enhanced recovery program involving nine subspecialties, resulting in significant reductions in complications, length of hospital stay, readmissions, opioid use and costs. He also supported a population neurogenomics research program to identify novel genetic anomalies associated with stroke and degenerative spinal disease.