Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

Franklin Square serves a broad patient base across Northeast Baltimore, eastern Baltimore County, Harford County, and as far south as the Delaware border through the emergency department. The demographic mix skews older on the inpatient side, with general medicine floors heavily populated by elderly patients. Population migration from Baltimore City into surrounding counties has driven steady growth in cardiac care demand.

The hospital sees a high volume of patients requiring cardio-oncology consults and maternal cardiology support, both identified by regional leadership as growth areas where incoming physicians can develop a focused practice.

Daily Workflow

Services Performed at Franklin Square

• General and consultative outpatient cardiology
• Transthoracic echocardiography (3 echo machines)
• Stress echocardiography
• Transesophageal echocardiography
• Nuclear stress testing
• Cardiac CT (64-slice currently, 256-slice scanner arriving)
• EKG and Holter monitoring
• Cardiac catheterization
• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• Pacemaker implantation
• EP device clinic and device monitoring
• Cardiac rehabilitation (housed within the cardiology office)

Services Referred to MedStar Union Memorial

• Structural heart procedures including TAVR, MitraClip, and Watchman
• Complex PCI
• Open heart surgery
• Cardiac ablations
• Advanced electrophysiology procedures

A dedicated EP program and an advanced heart failure program are under development at Franklin Square. Both will expand local procedural capability over the next several years.

APP Model

Five APPs support the team of ten cardiologists when fully staffed. APPs work with about 80 percent autonomy in a team-based structure alongside the physicians. Their responsibilities include:

• Outpatient cardiology visits with their own patient panels
• Inpatient consult support, discharge planning, and transfer coordination to Union Memorial
• Order entry and care plan implementation
• EP device clinic coverage

Virtual APP support is also available across the regional cardiology service line for overflow and after-hours documentation.

Call Structure

• Frequency: every 5th weekend
• Format: phone only, no in-house presence required
• Inpatient backup: 24/7 in-house pulmonary critical care staffing significantly reduces overnight cardiology calls
• ICU coverage: closed unit model with critical care managing ICU patients
• Post-call: option to take Monday off following weekend call

Subspecialty and Focus Areas

Incoming physicians with additional training or interest can develop a focused practice in several growth areas:

• Sports cardiology, supported by MedStar’s medical partnerships with the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Mystics
• Cardio-oncology, identified by regional leadership as a Franklin Square growth area
• Maternal cardiology and women’s heart health
• Advanced cardiac imaging, tied to the system’s expanding CT and MRI program

These are not required components of the role. Physicians without subspecialty interest can practice as general non-invasive cardiologists.

Technology and Equipment

• EMR: Cerner currently, transitioning to Epic in 2026
• Echocardiography: 3 machines with 4 dedicated echo technicians
• Nuclear lab: on-site with 2 nuclear technicians
• Cath lab: 3 cath labs at Franklin Square with space designed for expansion to 4 or 5
• Diagnostic CT: 64-slice scanner, 256-slice scanner being installed
• Stroke center designation with in-house neuro-interventional coverage

Research and Teaching

MedStar Health is one of the largest health systems in the Mid-Atlantic and provides system-wide access to research collaboration, clinical trials, and academic affiliations. Specific research participation and teaching responsibilities at Franklin Square will be confirmed during the interview process based on candidate interest.