MUSC Health Cardiology at North Area Medical Pavilion

Dr. Kenneth H. Hanger is a general cardiologist who has been in practice for 30+ years. He was an instructor at MUSC for his first two years after completing his internship, residency and fellowship in cardiology at MUSC. Dr. Hanger's next step was to start Pee Dee Cardiology in Florence, SC where he was an interventional cardiologist doing heart catheterizations and pacemakers. In 1992, Dr. Hanger returned to Charleston to start Lowcountry Cardiology and remained there until early 2018. While there, he practiced general cardiology, as well as interventional and also TAVR, the aortic valve replacement without surgery.Dr. Hanger returned to MUSC in 2018 to take care of patients that he'd had for many years and to take on new ones, as well. He is well experienced in managing almost all kinds of heart diseases, including coronary disease, valvular problems, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, hypertension and lipid disorders. As a triathlete, Dr. Hanger is also interested in preventing disease and in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

John Marcus Wharton, M.D. is professor of medicine with tenure at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Wharton received his M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, and completed an internship and residency at the University of California at San Francisco. He then completed his cardiology fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and subsequently served as assistant professor of medicine, director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology, and associate professor of medicine with tenure there. Among his many awards and honors are the Albert Weinstein Prize in Medicine and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE) Young Investigator Award.





Dr. Wharton has published articles and abstracts in many journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, and Circulation. He currently serves on the editorial board of EP Lab Digest, Clinical Cardiology, and the American Heart Journal. Dr. Wharton is a member of several scientific advisory committees, including the medical advisory panel at Boston Scientific, council of advisors at Medtronics, Inc. medical advisory board at Transurgical, Inc. and scientific committee of the European Society of Cardiology. He is also a member of several scholarly societies such as the Council of Clinical Cardiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, and NASPE. Dr. Wharton serves on many educational committees including the NASPE training and fellowship committee, the NASPE task force of FDA atrial fibrillation ablation, and the American College of Chest Physicians panel on the management of atrial fibrillation in post-CABG patients. His primary research interests are aimed at catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation as well as other arrhythmias; he has lectured internationally on these topics.

Dr Rachel Kaplan specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders (cardiac electrophysiology). She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr Kaplan completed her internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship, and cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at Northwestern. During her medical training, she also received a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation degree from Northwestern University. She has published extensively in the area of atrial fibrillation management, with a focus on risk estimation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Dr Kaplan's clinical interests focus on comprehensive atrial fibrillation management including cryoballoon ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion as well as complex left atrial arrhythmias. She is also interested in supraventricular tachycardia. Outside of work, Dr Kaplan is an accomplished musician and clarinetist.

Dr. Daniel Judge is a professor of medicine in cardiology at MUSC. He received his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and did his post-graduate training in internal medicine, cardiology, and advanced heart failure/transplant cardiology at Johns Hopkins. He is board-certified in both cardiology and advanced heart failure/transplant cardiology.Dr. Judge takes care of adult patients with inherited forms of cardiovascular disease, as well as congestive heart failure. As director of the cardiovascular genetics program, Dr. Judge has extensive experience caring for individuals and families with inherited forms of cardiomyopathy, aortic aneurysm, amyloidosis, and cardiac involvement from other genetic conditions.He has authored more than 150 scientific manuscripts.