About Us

About Us

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT FOR MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE

Affina began offering consulting services in February 2015 to address the evolving needs of physicians and administrators in managing rapidly expanding Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) programs across the United States. The firm recognized that each practice setting—private, academic, and system- owned—faces distinct challenges. Private practices often grapple with limited resources, making it difficult to invest in advanced technologies or broaden their services. Academic practices must balance clinical care with research and teaching obligations, which can result in complex scheduling and staff allocation dilemmas. System-owned practices typically encounter bureaucratic complexities, such as navigating multiple layers of approval for operational changes and adapting to standardized protocols that may not align with local requirements. Since its founding, Affina has supported a wide variety of MFM practices, providing customized consulting solutions tailored to each setting’s unique circumstances. The firm has achieved significant milestones, including optimization of the nation's most prominent hospitals, optimizing several MFM divisions, assisting in the establishment of new private practices, and forging ongoing partnerships with prominent healthcare firms. To date, over 150 leading MFM practice settings in more than 30 states have sought Affina’s expertise in program optimization.

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Founder and President

Frank Ciafone, M.B.A.

Mr. Ciafone has over 25 years of national and international healthcare experience in physician group settings, health systems and global collaborations in promoting quality patient care and sustainable health care delivery. He is a recognized expert in health care management, offering financial and operational advice to stakeholders through client work, consulting, publications, and lectures.  In 1992, he developed the Practice Builder Program, in response to the growing trend of practice acquisition and integration by hospitals and health systems. Providing guidance to both physicians and hospitals in the formation and profitable management of these relationships, the program continues today to be an essential part of client strategies in successfully integrating physician groups into the organization’s structure and culture. Although prestigious institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Italian Ministry of Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have engaged his expertise, Mr. Ciafone also maintains a focus on the smaller physician practice setting, with over 150 national engagements assisting solo and small group specialists in practice profitability issues. In 2012, he began his association with the Association for Maternal Fetal Medicine Management and is currently a member of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine’s Practice Management Committee.