Cardiovascular Consulting - Charles Franc & Associates, Inc.



		Consulting Services Overview Our experience and expertise encompass a full range of capabilities. CFA's cardiovascular consulting services and experience includes: Comprehensive cardiovascular service line strategic and business planning Operational, clinical and financial outcomes; performance assessment and enhancement for all CV programs and service components Comprehensive CV program expansion implementation assistance Hospital/physician business/alignment strategy development: joint ventures, pay-for-performance, gainsharing, professional/managerial services agreements Comprehensive cardiology and cardiovascular surgery group practice consulting Performance improvement consulting and business intelligence development Cardiovascular performance-based Center of Excellence development Service line, program, service or venture organizational model design/development, including institutes Facility design and development support Cost management and cost reduction programs Coding assessment and audits Clinical standardization through guidelines, protocols and algorithms Technology assessment; clinical, financial, organizational trend analysis Certificate of Need preparation, support and development Interim management and recruitment of key administrative, clinical and physician staff Quality and Patient Satisfaction Our hands-on experience with patient care and the delivery of high quality clinical services is integrated into our consulting practice. CFA evaluates the latest guidelines and published standards within the field of cardiovascular medicine and has frequently assisted clients to establish performance targets and systems to monitor and improve clinical quality. CFA assists clients in improving patient, referring physician and payer community satisfaction. Program Expansion Planning CFA has extensive project experience in comprehensive strategic business development planning over the course of more than two decades. CFA assists clients in a broad range of planning activities and is frequently retained to provide implementation assistance through project completion. Implementation assistance includes the list referenced in the Consulting Services Overview. The following are examples of developmental activities: Procedural and clinical coding Clinical outcome measurement criteria and standards Position specifications for new job categories Staff recruitment guidance Medical Director job descriptions Operational budgets for primary cardiovascular departments Cardiovascular services cost accounting capability CFA provides clients with clinical, financial, and operational planning and implementation assistance needed to establish successful cardiovascular services programs and to enhance the performance of existing programs. Cardiovascular Services Implementation and Facilitation CFA utilizes an integrated approach to program implementation. While cardiovascular programs are similar, there are distinctions stemming from the preferences of participating physicians, surgeons and other staff members; the physical space in which the program will exist and its adjacency to other key services; practice patterns and standards of care utilized by physicians; equipment available for use; and the program's market area. These factors dictate that the program be designed for its unique location and circumstances. Subtle differences require that responsible individuals from all levels of the organization participate in preparing for the service. CFA promotes a grassroots process that ensures that individuals from throughout the organization have input into the design of the operational plan. The grassroots process is critical to generating the levels of interest, enthusiasm and support that are so important for successful implementation of a complex clinical program. Physicians -- principally cardiologists, interventional radiologists, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, and anesthesiologists -- are an essential part of the program. They must be intimately involved in the operational planning, because they will direct how the program will ultimately function. CFA's approach to implementation promotes ongoing physician involvement. Technology Assessment Cardiovascular services will continue to be at the forefront of technological advances in health care. Providers of these critical services must understand current technological trends and their impacts on future services. The rapid evolution of cardiovascular clinical techniques and technologies necessitates a continuing assessment of new procedures and practices. CFA assists clients in evaluating new technology from the perspectives of clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and strategic importance. Design/Layout Expertise A major component of successful program implementation is the design and layout of cost-effective services. During his three decades of cardiovascular services experience (two decades as a senior cardiovascular consultant), Charles Franc has been involved in the initial layout, schematic design, construction document development and implementation of more than 60 cardiovascular facilities projects throughout the United States. Projects include: Noninvasive cardiology diagnostic centers Cardiac rehabilitation programs Diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization laboratories Complete invasive cardiology departments Electrophysiology laboratories Cardiac surgery operating rooms with appropriate support environment Cardiac critical care and telemetry nursing units CFA has worked closely with healthcare architectural firms throughout the country to identify the best cardiovascular facility development solutions for each client. Cardiovascular Equipment and Product Database In addition to comprehensive feasibility assessment and business planning experience, CFA develops detailed cardiovascular capital equipment and supplies databases that encompass every available cardiovascular procedure. These databases are updated regularly through our contacts with more than 100 vendors. The CFA cardiovascular product database provides our staff with the extensive information necessary to accurately develop the capital and operational budget analyses for new and expanding programs. Service Line Assessment CFA conducts comprehensive assessments of existing programs to provide direction for enhancing and growing the service line. A service line assessment is often the first step in a broader planning effort. Through site visits and interviews, data collection and skilled analysis, CFA evaluates program performance levels in the following areas: Scope and quality of clinical services Accuracy and comprehensiveness of data collection and reporting Physical plant and technology capabilities Physician and non-physician staffing levels Organizational structure, hospital/physician coordination and administrative effectiveness Market share and referral patterns Strategic positioning These components are critical to the success of the service line. Service Line Strategic Planning CFA's strategic planning process is designed to identify the key challenges facing the client's program/practice and the opportunities to effect change. Program strategic plans typically include the following components: Evaluation of the local and regional cardiovascular services market Examination of pertinent national and regional trends in providing cardiovascular services Evaluation of regional medical community support Quantification of the local/regional market for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and invasive/interventional cardiology procedures; detailed analysis of the client's current market capture levels Examination of the opportunities/recommended approaches for market capture Delineation of program additions and/or enhancements necessary for continued growth of the product line Evaluation of the system for measuring, monitoring and reporting program performance and outcomes measures Delineation of program strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats Detailed specification of key success factors and recommendations Comprehensive strategies, goals and tactics for program development Cardiovascular Physician Practice Consulting Services The CFA approach to cardiovascular medical group practice consulting is derived from the real world experience and expertise of its practice management consultants. The CFA practice consultants' knowledge base and unique skill-sets have been developed and continually refined from providing nearly three decades of hands-on practice management and consulting services. CFA practice management consultants have personally and successfully managed private and academic-based single and multi-specialty cardiovascular medical group practices ranging from cardiothoracic surgery groups, non-invasive and interventional cardiology practices, electrophysiology, cardiac imaging and cardiac anesthesia groups. As a national cardiovascular consulting firm, CFA has experience in a wide array of operating environments and cardiovascular markets. CFA practice consultants have knowledge and experience encompassing the entire life cycle of a cardiovascular practice, including practice start ups, restructures, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. The CFA approach to cardiovascular physician practice development is driven by five foundational guiding principles: Visionary, results-oriented physician leadership is the compass and rudder that guides the practice toward excellence. Metrics driven strategic planning and practice performance improvement processes and measures are in place and utilized regularly to improve practice performance. Practice organizational structure, clinical capabilities and a menu of services maximize the group's leverage within its specific marketplace. Practice is effectively aligned with a financially healthy, cardiovascular-focused hospital partner. Practice financial management tools are appropriate and result in timely, effective revenue capture. These five foundational guiding principles provide the basic filter through which CFA evaluates practice health and performance, and formulates its strategic and operational development plans and recommendations. CFA customizes its consulting approach for each client based on the assessment of these structural factors. Following that basic evaluation, a more extensive practice profile is generated. This profile provides a baseline for CFA to develop specific, actionable strategies. CFA is prepared to assist physicians and medical groups with the following types of consulting engagements. Practice Start-Ups Corporation formation Facilities design Financial feasibility/market assessment Clinical and operational technology assessment/acquisition Recruitment Hospital partnership negotiations Mergers/Acquisitions Strategic/Financial Assessment Value Proposition Acquisition Process Development/Facilitation Negotiation Support Organizational Design Implementation Assistance Strategic Business Development/Planning Situational Analysis Market Assessment New Service Evaluation and Implementation Strategic Partnerships/Practice Configuration Succession Planning and Recruitment Group Profile/Capabilities Strategic Positioning/Physician Needs Assessment Financial Opportunity Analysis Retirement Planning Recruitment Assistance /Negotiations Practice Performance Evaluation/Restructuring Practice Management Evaluation Operating Systems/Productivity Assessment Financial Performance Benchmarking Restructures/Metrics Driven Practice Models Joint Venture Formation CFA conducts comprehensive feasibility assessment and project development for cardiovascular joint ventures. CFA has evaluated scenarios ranging from outpatient cardiac diagnostic centers and outpatient cardiac catheterization laboratory projects to feasibility assessment and development activities for joint ventured heart and vascular hospitals. CFA has been instrumental in the development of a state-of-the-art heart and vascular hospital, structured as a joint venture between a community-based nonprofit hospital system and the cardiovascular physicians in the immediate and surrounding communities. The CFA consulting team is well-versed in healthcare joint venture regulations. CFA works effectively with its clients' legal counsel to structure appropriate ventures that meet the needs of the participants and conform to legal requirements.