Letter from our President
Originally established by Dr. Kenneth Popio, Cape Fear Cardiology Associates has been serving Fayetteville since 1989. Dr. Popio’s vision was to bring cardiology to the city and surrounding area, and was responsible for bringing Fayetteville its first cardiac catheterization laboratory. Although now retired, he started what continues today to be the largest and longest existing cardiology practice in Fayetteville.
After retiring from a distinguished career in the Navy and serving as the Cardiology Consultant to the U.S. Congress, Dr. Timothy Blair joined our group in 1990 with Dr. Stephen Ginn joining shortly thereafter in 1992. Dr. Ginn expanded our capabilities in the catheterization lab, performing the first angioplasty procedures in the area. Dr. Ginn is currently the director of the catheterization lab at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
I, Dr. Thor Klang, was proud to join the practice in 1995 after completing my fellowship in interventional cardiology. I have the distinct pleasure of saying that I was the first in Fayetteville to perform coronary stent procedures. Dr. Blair, Dr. Ginn and I are the group’s interventional cardiologists and continue to provide excellence in interventional procedures. In addition to my patient care responsibilities, I am also the Chief of Cardiology at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
In 1996, Fayetteville was introduced to its first Board Certified Electrophysiologist, Dr. Martin Bacon. Dr. Bacon arrived after retiring from the Navy and leaving his position as the White House Physician. Shortly after Dr. Bacon’s arrival, Dr. Robert Kastner joined our group and was Fayetteville’s first Nuclear Cardiologist. He played an integral role in having our nuclear program become the area’s first ICANL certified lab.
By this time, we were proud to know that our group was the only practice in Fayetteville that provided all aspects of cardiology care. Our hard work and dedication was being noticed within the community and our practice began to grow.
We built our building’s addition in 2002 and added Dr. Srinivas Munugoti to our group at the same time. Dr. Michael Hodges was soon to follow after completing 11 years in the Army and a tour in Iraq. Although both are Nuclear Cardiologists, both have played strong roles in having our ECHO lab become ICAEL certified and have just recently introduced Fayetteville to CT coronary angiography. They are the only Board Certified physicians for the new line of cardiac diagnostic testing within the city.
In 2008, Brenda May-DePaola joined our team after 11 years in the Navy where she served as General Medical Officer on the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was also appointed Director of the Congestive Heart Failure/Transplant Clinic and Cardiac Rehabilitation at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. DePaola has brought to the city of Fayetteville a better understanding of women’s heart disease.
In addition to our dedication to providing excellent cardiology care to our patients, we also take pride in servicing our community as well. We have given countless cardiology lectures within the community, ensured the AEDs were available in pivotal locations, and supported Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s, Friends of the Heart Center fundraisers, Women See Red, Fighting Heart Disease. Fayetteville is our home and we also enjoy being involved wit those around us therefore we have supported The Care Clinic’s fundraisers in for many consecutive years.
In 2012 and 2013 we were voted Best Cardiology Group in Fayetteville by Greatest in Fayetteville. Dr. Michael Hodges, Dr. Martin Bacon and Dr. Robert Kastner were voted the top three Cardiologist in Fayetteville and received top honors.
If you are in need of a Cardiologist, ask your Primary Care Physician for a referral to Cape Fear Cardiology Associates. As a group, our nine Board Certified Cardiologists have more than 125 years of combined experience. We work together as a team to provide you the highest quality of cardiology care, never losing sight of the personal touch that many seek in today’s busy world.
Our dedicated referral number is (910) 433-2956 or our main number is (910) 485-6470. We look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Thor Klang, MD, FACC
President, Cape Fear Cardiology Associates, P.A.
