Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

A Practice Where Clinical Excellence Meets Operational Efficiency

Your clinical practice at St. Francis will feel refreshingly different from the fragmented, high-pressure environments plaguing many cardiovascular programs today. Here, you'll experience the rare combination of clinical variety, procedural autonomy, and genuine work-life balance that allows you to practice comprehensive cardiology while maintaining your passion for the field. The thoughtfully designed rotation system ensures you're never stuck in a clinical rut – one week you're leading the inpatient service with full nurse practitioner support, the next you're building relationships with patients in your outpatient clinic, and periodically you're bringing specialized cardiac care to underserved rural communities who view you as their lifeline to quality healthcare.

Your Patient Population

You'll care for what physicians here describe as "the best patients" – hardworking Midwesterners who trust their doctors and follow treatment plans. As Dr. Boolani notes, "They generally don't argue with you. If they develop trust with you, you're set." These aren’t the "Dr. Google" patients common in metropolitan areas; instead, you'll treat farmers and rural residents who often wait too long to seek care, presenting with advanced pathology that challenges your clinical skills while deepening your sense of purpose.

Diverse demographics spanning urban Topeka residents to rural Kansans from communities 75+ miles away
High-acuity cases including complex valvular disease, advanced heart failure, and multi-vessel CAD
Mix of routine follow-ups, new consultations, and complex diagnostic workups
Established patients transitioning from departing physicians ensure immediate full schedules

Clinical Services & Procedures

Your procedural skills will remain sharp through regular performance of diagnostic studies that many programs now restrict to subspecialists. The practice values comprehensive cardiologists who can manage the full spectrum of cardiac care.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) – essential for structural heart patient evaluation
Transthoracic echocardiography interpretation (40–50 studies during service weeks)
Nuclear stress test supervision and interpretation (8 daily across two cameras)
Exercise stress test supervision
Cardiac MRI interpretation (80+ annually with growth projected) – strongly desired skill
Cardiac CT/CTA interpretation including calcium scoring program
No diagnostic catheterization expectations – preserved for interventional colleagues
Optional participation in device management if interested (3,500+ device patients)

Hospital Service Excellence

The inpatient service model represents one of the program's greatest strengths, combining efficiency with education. During your week of service, you function as the cardiovascular team leader, not just another consultant lost in the shuffle.

One week every five weeks on service (Thursday to Thursday)
Average daily census of 22–25 patients, peaking at 35 during busy seasons
6–7 new consults daily providing steady RVU generation
Weekend rounding with dedicated NP support (full day Saturday, half day Sunday)
Dedicated time for reading all cardiac studies for hospitalized patients
Post-call administrative days following call nights for catch-up
Clear handoffs with colleagues who respect boundaries

Call Responsibilities

Unlike many programs where call means exhaustion, here it's genuinely manageable. As physicians confirm: "Nobody wants more call, but compared to what it would be 10 years ago, it's so much better."

1:5 call rotation with post-call day off
Home call with remote EMR access for most issues
Typically 1–3 calls per night, rarely more than 5
Hospitalist service handles routine issues, eliminating nuisance calls
No STEMI call responsibilities – handled by interventional colleagues
Coming in required maybe "once in six months" according to staff
Holiday call rotates equitably with extra day off when working holidays

Outpatient Practice Design

Your clinic schedule is structured to prevent the burnout common in volume-driven practices, with built-in administrative time that acknowledges the realities of modern cardiology.

18–22 patients per clinic day target (~2.5 patients per hour)
Three patients followed by 15-minute admin block for charting and callbacks
Office hours 8 AM to 5 PM with one-hour lunch closure (12–1 PM)
"Doctor of the Day" rotation providing practice-wide support and unassigned study reads
Option to convert post-call days to clinic time for additional RVU generation

Outreach Commitment

You'll help address the desperate need for specialty care in rural Kansas, though the commitment is surprisingly manageable – typically just 1–3 days monthly at locations within an hour's drive.

10 established outreach locations with existing patient bases
Round-trip mileage ranges from 56 to 151 miles
Full EMR access through mobile workstations
Nurse practitioner support at busier locations
Protected RVU credit ensuring outreach time remains financially productive
Non-HPSA locations available for non-visa holders (only 3 of 10 are HPSA-designated)

Advanced Technology & Support

Epic EMR across all settings with single sign-on functionality
AI-powered documentation assistance (Ambience) reducing charting burden
Full structural heart program: TAVR, Watchman, ASD/PFO closures
Mitral/tricuspid clip capabilities planned by 2026
Pulse field ablation coming soon to complement radiofrequency ablation
24/7 cath lab availability with experienced teams

Teaching Without the Burden

Optional medical student precepting ($5,000 annual stipend)
Informal teaching during multidisciplinary rounds
Case conferences every Thursday at noon for collaborative learning
No required research or publication expectations

The clinical variety here surpasses what you'll find at institutions twice this size, where narrow subspecialization limits your scope. You'll maintain the full breadth of your training while having the flexibility to develop areas of special interest, all while serving patients who genuinely need and appreciate your expertise.