Having joined Catawba Valley Cardiology in November of 2016, Dr. Whalen also serves as the Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and is Adjunct Faculty in Global Health at Wake Forest Medical Center. He earned his Medical Degree from Wake Forest University and went on to complete his postdoctoral training at Emory University and Vanderbilt University Hospitals. Among many other achievements, Dr. Whalen was instrumental in developing the hybrid procedure for AFib, which combines the tools for surgical and catheter ablation for patients with resistant atrial fibrillation. He’s also a national leader in lead extraction (the removal of a cardiac devices and leads) and helped to develop a center for training in transvenous lead removal. For the past 5 years, Dr. Whalen has held a position as team leader for a non-profit organization called Friends of Rudy (FOR) Nicaraguan Health which provides medical aid to the great numbers of impoverished people in Nicaragua who have limited access to health care.
