Charles Franc & Associates, Inc. was formed in 1994. Our main office is located in Dana Point, California, and we staff a satellite office in St. Louis, Missouri.

The CFA approach to cardiovascular consulting derives from our philosophy of individualized assistance, a commitment to client success and the experience of our consultants. CFA's seasoned team of consultants has decades of experience in cardiovascular program administration and consulting. The team brings personal healthcare management expertise to its clients' projects which translates into effective solutions to the challenges of today's healthcare marketplace.

To best meet our clients' needs and to realize our vision, CFA maintains a highly specialized senior consulting services staff. Our approach ensures that the consulting services we deliver are of the highest quality and effectiveness. With CFA, you are assured that your needs are addressed by experienced, senior consultants who are integrally involved throughout the engagement. We employ no junior consultants or analysts.

Cardiovascular Consulting Experience

CFA has conducted more than 150 cardiovascular consulting engagements since the establishment of the firm. Our senior consulting staff has consulted to more than 300 clients over the past two decades as consulting firm principals or senior cardiovascular services consultants.

CFA's Senior Consultants

Our senior consulting team comprises the following individuals and is augmented by other associates who have specialized knowledge and skills that are involved in specific engagements as appropriate.

Charles W. Franc, President

Founder and President of Charles Franc & Associates, Inc., Mr. Franc has more than three decades of healthcare, hospital and consulting experience in administration, technical and clinical areas. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the delivery of cardiovascular medicine. Prior to establishing Charles Franc & Associates, Inc., Mr. Franc was a Principal and Senior Vice President of Cardiovascular Consulting Services for a national healthcare consulting firm that specialized in clinical services planning and development. His last hospital-based management position was as the Director of Cardiology for a large, tertiary cardiovascular hospital in Southern California. Responsibilities of this position included the operational, financial and planning aspects for Invasive and Noninvasive Cardiology Services, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Care Services and a large, multi-subspecialty Cardiology Practice. Focusing on the strategic, organizational and operational aspects of cardiovascular services, Mr. Franc has consulted with hospitals, physicians, medical groups and medical equipment manufacturers.

Mr. Franc coauthored Successful Management Strategies in Cardiovascular Services and Developing Effective Invasive Cardiology Services , each published by the American Hospital Association. As a frequent lecturer in the field of cardiovascular services planning and management, he specializes in the areas of clinical program assessment and development and in effectively positioning cardiovascular services for managed care.

Richard A. Clark, MBA, Vice President

Mr. Clark has been in the healthcare industry for more than twenty-five years, holding senior-level hospital positions in finance, operations and administration. He was instrumental in the planning, design and start-up of a full-service, acute care hospital in Northern California and served as its Administrator. As a consultant to cardiovascular services providers since 1990, Mr. Clark's clients have included hospitals, physician groups, health systems and emerging healthcare businesses. As Vice President of Charles Franc & Associates, Inc., Mr. Clark specializes in strategic, business and managed care planning for cardiovascular physician groups and hospitals; physician compensation, group mergers and practice operations improvement; and contracting and payer relations. An expert in cardiovascular medicine referral patterns, Mr. Clark has personally interviewed more than five hundred primary care physicians nationally regarding their preferences and motivations pertaining to cardiology referrals.

Mr. Clark is a graduate of Duke University and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. Mr. Clark has lectured around the country on such varied topics as hospital/physician relationships, group practice strategic planning, organizational models, heart institute development, practice efficiency and women's heart care. Mr. Clark is based in CFA's St. Louis office.

John W. Meyer, FACHE, Senior Manager

Mr. Meyer has over three decades of healthcare, hospital and consulting experience in hospital administration, strategic business development and marketing. He has extensive experience as vice president of planning and vice president of marketing for Southern California hospitals including community, tertiary, non-profit and proprietary. Specializing in strategic planning, market strategy development and service line development, he has gained considerable expertise in the specialty service lines including cardiovascular, advanced imaging, orthopedics, neurosciences and oncology. He is the co-author of several American Hospital Association (AHA) publications including: Using Standard Treatment Protocols to Manage Costs and Quality of Hospital Services; Centers of Excellence - An Assessment Tool for Cardiovascular and Orthopedic Programs; The Future of Specialty Care Services - Forming Integrated Specialty Service Organizations and Specialty Networks; Successful Management Strategies in Cardiovascular Services; and CathPlan , a computerized planning tool for cardiac catheterization laboratory development. He has consulted nationally with hospitals, healthcare systems, physician groups and emerging healthcare businesses.

Mr. Meyer earned a Master's Degree in Hospital Administration from the University of California at Berkeley and is a recertified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has published and lectured extensively.

Cardiac Program Development Experience

CFA's staff is the most experienced team in the country for development and full-service implementation of interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery services. Over the course of their consulting careers, the staff has completed more than 65 feasibility assessment projects for expanded invasive cardiac services (cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology and/or cardiac cath labs). These projects have been conducted in all regions of the country, from Washington to Florida and California to New Hampshire.

CFA staff members have had major roles in the implementation of 21 comprehensive heart programs and multiple startup diagnostic cardiac catheterization laboratories. The first of these 21 comprehensive heart programs opened in 1991, with the most recent opening in 2008. These programs are all currently open and successful.

Physician Interaction

CFA's consulting team has a combined experience of many decades working effectively with physicians. In addition to hospital-based projects, CFA conducts consulting projects directly with physician groups. The staff works closely with key cardiovascular and referring physicians in every consulting engagement. Our abilities to communicate and work effectively with physicians are key reasons that CFA has been retained for follow up projects with many of our clients.