University of Rochester Medical Center’s John Goldblatt Dies at 56

John P. Goldblatt, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, died suddenly on January 23, 2023, after an unexpected illness. He was 56.

“He loved his job. He laughed with the people he worked with. He came home with gifts from his patients thanking him for his compassionate care. As his career progressed, he could not go anywhere without someone stopping to share their gratitude for the work he had done for them or a loved one,” his family wrote.

His colleagues remember him as “a perfect partner”—”a highly skilled surgeon who was a kind, sympathetic listener to his patients and a team player in the operating room and clinic”.

Mark B. Taubman, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry and CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center said, “John Goldblatt was an outstanding surgeon who will be dearly missed by colleagues across the Medical Center, as well as by his patients. As a sports medicine specialist he helped athletes from across our region to achieve their peak performance, at all levels of competition, exemplifying the proud tradition of our program.”

Goldblatt was born in Rochester, New York, to David and Sally Goldblatt. He spent his childhood hanging out in the Browncroft neighborhood with his two brothers Dave and Rob and many friends.

He graduated from East High School in 1984. While medicine would eventually become his passion. He started down the engineering path, earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988. Among his early jobs was a stint with IBM in Burlington, Vermont. That is where he met his wife, Julie, who was there as an intern from New Mexico. He and his wife have two children, son Dallan and daughter Justine.

Eventually though he realized that medicine was his true calling. He earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1997 and completed general surgery and orthopedic surgery residencies at University of Rochester Medical Center and then a sports medicine fellowship at Tufts University-New England Medical Center.

Goldblatt came back to University of Rochester Medical Center and joined their faculty in 2003 as a sports medicine specialist. He provided care to both athletes and non-athletes and was the team physician for University of Rochester sports teams as well as local professional teams.