Dr. Michael McLean

Visalia-based Kaweah Health welcomed cardiac surgeon and Stanford Medicine faculty member Dr. Michael McLean to its ranks of cardiothoracic surgeons — the first of three Stanford Medicine surgeons who will live and work in Visalia through a joint partnership between the two health care providers.

The addition of McLean is part of the Kaweah Health Cardiothoracic Surgery Program, which works together with the Stanford Medicine Cardiac Surgery Program to provide the Central Valley access to high-quality specialists.

“The Kaweah Health cardiothoracic program has a long history of providing award-winning care, and with Stanford Health Care, we will work to help ensure that our community continues to have access to some of the best surgical heart care available for many years to come,” said Kaweah Health CEO Gary Herbst.

McLean, who represents the first of three surgeons who will make their way to Kaweah, is a graduate of Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He completed a residency in general surgery at SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. McLean also trained at the University of Southern California and specializes in minimally invasive valve surgery, congenital heart surgery, heart and lung replacement and procurement as well as a variety of other specializations.

In addition to its partnership with Stanford, Kaweah is also affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute. These affiliations enable Kaweah’s heart programs to achieve the best possible outcomes for procedures through the work of skilled, experienced doctors, nurses and technicians.