A surgical practice in Palmerton is celebrating its silver anniversary.

Carbon Surgical Associates offers a full range of surgical services from minor procedures to advanced operations, and specializes in minimally invasive surgery.Located at 255 Delaware Avenue, the practice was founded in 1989 by Dr. Mark T. Vandenberg following the completion of his general surgery residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital.Vandenberg practiced exclusively out of the Gnaden Huetten campus in Lehighton for the first six years of his career.He was joined by Dr. Scott D. Croll in 1995, when Carbon Surgical Associates expanded its coverage to Palmerton Hospital.Dr. Michael Martinez and his family moved to Palmerton in the summer of 2000, the same year that Vandenberg left the practice.In the summer of 2004, Croll left the area. Then, in April of 2005, Dr. James W. Kramer joined Martinez to become the fourth partner of the practice. Kramer remained on until 2011.The practice moved to its present location in September 2012, Martinez said."It's been a great move, in terms of our being a visible presence in the community," Martinez said. "Every day it is a privilege to take care of my neighbors, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent the last 13 years with Carbon Surgical Associates."Since the move, Martinez said he's been going it solo, which is, "extremely rare in this era of health care.""I think this is a wonderful role for a community physician," he said. "I feel strongly that I play an important role in serving the needs of this community."The majority of his patients are from Carbon County, as well as portions of Northern Lehigh, said Martinez, who also practices out of St. Luke's Hospital's Allentown campus."We're a very small practice, and I think the advantage of coming to a practice like mine is that you know who you're going to see, unlike many of the other private practices," he said. "Here, there are personal relationships that I develop with my patients, which is something I'm passionate about."Martinez added, "At the end of the day, no one is more vested in the patients' well-being then the person who lives in the community and will see the patient at the store."It's great motivation for me to provide the best care to my patients, and to ensure the best care for them."To schedule an appointment with Carbon Surgical Associates, call 610-826-4595, or visit

www.carbonsurgical.com.