Board certified in pediatric cardiology and pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Paul Francis joined Children’s in March 2004. He is Chair of the Department of Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery. An expert in general pediatric cardiology, pediatric electrocardiography and echocardiography, adult congenital heart disease and cardiac intensive care, Dr. Francis has more than 25 years of experience. He has published textbook chapters as well as articles in professional journals including the American Journal of Cardiology and the Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery.

Dr. Francis served in an administrative capacity as Director of Pediatric Cardiology, Director of the Kiwanis Children’s Heart Center and Medical Director of the Pediatric Outpatient Clinical Management Team at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. He has also held several academic positions including Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

He was awarded the Golden Apple Pediatric Resident Teaching Award from Janet Weis Hospital in 2001, honored as an Outstanding Teacher in 2005 by Children’s Hospital and the received the 2007 Board of Directors Education Award at Children’s.

Dr. Francis earned his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, where he graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. He completed a pediatric internship and residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado, where he received the Bruce M. Garber Senior Resident Award. Dr. Francis is fellowship trained in pediatric cardiology by Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center in Ohio. He is fluent in Spanish and can read French and Portuguese.

Publications

Petrossian E, Reddy VM, Collins KK, Culbertson CB, MacDonald MJ, Lamberti JJ, Reinhartz O, Mainwaring RD, Francis PD, Malhotra SP, Gremmels DB, Suleman S, Hanley FL. “The extracardiac conduit Fontan operation using minimal approach extracorporeal circulation: early and midterm outcomes.” J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2006; 132(5):1054-63.
PMID: 17059923

Winter S, Jue K, Prochazka J, Francis P, Hamilton W, Linn L, Helton E. “The role of L-carnitine in pediatric cardiomyopathy.” J Child Neurol. 1995; 10 Suppl 2:S45-51.
PMID: 8576569