CFA is 21 Years Old!

Looking back more than twenty-one years to when I first considered establishing Charles Franc & Associates, Inc. (CFA), it doesn’t really seem like more than two decades have passed. 

 Sure, we have grown as a firm from just one staff member (me) to a focused team of multispecialty cardiovascular services consulting professionals.  The number of consulting engagements and satisfied clients has steadily increased over the years, along with the opportunity for CFA to support increased access, enhanced clinical outcomes, and operational improvement in the field of cardiovascular services, both in the U.S. and in several foreign countries.  We have been privileged to work with many great organizations and fine individuals in the course of our consulting work and consider it an honor to have helped so many improve, expand and further develop their cardiovascular services.  For me, one very gratifying indicator of our success as a specialty healthcare consulting firm has been the large percentage of repeat or long term client relationships we have developed over the past two decades.

The field of cardiovascular medicine and the science and art of effectively managing a cardiovascular service line has been, and remains, a challenging and exciting environment.  It is characterized by monumental and ongoing clinical innovation – in the face of substantial changes in reimbursement for providing care, to both hospitals and physicians.  And, while there have been only three different U.S. Presidents during the last 21 years, it seems that the political climate – with its ramifications on the delivery of healthcare – is in a constant state of turmoil.  More than ever, the need to realize improved clinical quality outcomes and high levels of patient satisfaction, while closely managing the cost to deliver cardiovascular care, is front and center for cardiovascular managers, administrators and physicians.  The buzz words may change, but the underlying goals never do:  providing the best quality care, at the best price, in a highly competitive and ever-changing marketplace.

To best assist our clients with the challenges they face today as new technologies and payment initiatives drive changes, CFA continues to innovate and expand our consulting offerings to meet our clients’ evolving needs.  In addition to our specialized strategic, market, operational and management cardiovascular consulting services for hospitals, health systems and cardiovascular physician practices, we have added highly experienced, expert staff members in the following areas:

• Cardiovascular Supply Chain Management 
• Cardiovascular Information Systems (CVIS) Optimization
• Preparing for Evolving Reimbursement Models (Bundled Pricing & P4P)
• Planning for and Developing Clinical Innovations (TAVR, EP, other structural heart capabilities)
• Service Line Clinical Consolidation or Rationalization of Services
• Physician Practice Efficiency and Financial Performance

The CFA team encourages you to meet our new crew members  and take a few minutes to review the range of expanded cardiovascular consulting services we provide by visiting our website.  I am confident there is something our team of cardiovascular experts can do to help you and your cardiovascular program.

I would like to close with a warm thank you to all of our friends and clients, both current and past, who have selected the CFA team and trusted us with the responsibility to help them identify the best path to improvement, growth and success for their cardiovascular enterprise.

Here is to another 21 great years of helping to improve our field!