Interview with Francis R. Facchini, MD, FSIR
Francis R. Facchini, MD, FSIR
As a patient-focused, technology-driven specialty, interventional radiology has always valued the role that innovation and business acumen play in improving patient care.
In this series, IRQ speaks with IRs who hold corporate leadership positions to learn more about their career paths and why they felt pulled from the IR suite to the C-suite.
Name: Francis R. Facchini, MD, FSIR
Position: President, Interventional Solutions, Varian, a Siemens Healthineers Company.
IRQ: Tell us about your current position.
Francis R. Facchini, MD, FSIR:
As president of Varian’s rapidly developing interventional solutions business, I lead the strategy that drives our innovation in interventional solutions treatment offerings and establishes interventional oncology as an important pillar of patient care. Each day, I have the privilege of working with an outstanding team that puts the customer and patients at the center, and I’m focused on building our team and fully integrating with Siemens Healthineers to accelerate the path from diagnosis to treatment.
Varian is dedicated to leading the way in elevating and providing access to interventional radiology and thereby improving the quality of life for all patients. Having an interventional radiologist as a business leader within the company puts us in a unique position to advance multidisciplinary oncology treatment working with a multitude of specialties to create a world without fear of cancer. Together with Siemens Healthineers, Varian shares the vision of delivering breakthroughs in healthcare for everyone, everywhere through further innovations in the fields of interventional radiology and interventional oncology.
IRQ: How did you get involved with industry?
FF: I consider myself fortunate to have been able to marry my two passions: IR and business. Many doctors who work with industry would say they are physicians who are business people. I’m a business person who is proud to be a physician.
My interest in business started before I went to medical school when I was working at a bar wearing multiple hats from bouncer to bartender. During that time, I built relationships with the regulars, including one who was a music promoter. As this relationship flourished, I made the transition from bartender to business partner. Together, we built a promotions business from the ground up. Over the next several years, we organized concerts that brought in national acts and thousands of people in attendance. The experience made me realize that I could do something I really love and bring joy to others–all while making a living.
As I made the transition from business to IR, I had the opportunity to work alongside talented peers and train under great mentors. When I finished my fellowship at Northwestern, I was encouraged to join a consultant board at Boston Scientific Oncology. I jumped at the chance. Through this opportunity, I discovered my contributions could stretch beyond clinical strategy and extended to the business side. Eventually, when Boston Scientific divested one of their divisions, I was asked if I would like to come in as the Medical Director to lead clinical strategy. That company became Navilyst Medical. It’s here where my understanding of the role of a physician in industry deepened. Navilyst was then bought by AngioDynamics and I was fortunate enough to be recognized by the leadership and asked to stay on.
While in my role at AngioDynamics, I was approached by BTG, PLC–a primarily specialty pharmaceutical company–who was building its medical device division and looking for professionals with medical leadership. I’m a firm believer that you don’t choose a job, you choose the people, and I was immediately won over by a compelling vision and an impressive team. My position at BTG evolved to Chief Medical Officer and the company built a portfolio that was eventually sold to Boston Scientific.
After a successful track record in industry, I’d planned to take a break to prioritize family and to return to practicing clinical IR. That break lasted about 48 hours when I received a call to serve as the medical director of Varian’s newly established interventional solutions business. My core fiber of creativity and business building was ignited. Given the potential of what Varian had accomplished in Radiation Oncology, and what it could accomplish in Interventional Radiology, I dove in.
“When you only do the job you are expected to do, you will fail.”
Why not?
The customer and patient are at the center of the well-established radiation business and would be at the core of the Varian interventional strategy as well. Varian provided me the opportunity to move out of the usual physician-populated medical swim lane and get involved as a leader in the overall business. As I continued to drive impact for Varian, I was offered the role as President of Interventional Solutions to oversee the full division. This was an incredibly exciting role as my industry career had been primarily in the medical role.
IRQ: What about Varian, a Siemens Healthineers Company, appealed to you?
FF: Varian is deeply committed to creating a world without the fear of cancer. That mission is very personal to me, both as a cancer survivor and an interventional oncologist. Siemens Healthineers defines its purpose as pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare for everyone, everywhere. It’s not just a tagline. I watch people live and breathe it. By joining with Siemens Healthineers, we are combining world-class diagnostics, imaging and interventional therapy advancements to enhance patient experiences. To be a part of this is deeply meaningful and motivating.
All physicians have a duty to use their talents in the best ways they can. We know that IRs do great work and often give more than is expected at the bedside in their practices every day. Others choose to pursue groundbreaking research and move the specialty forward from a data standpoint. Some devote their time and energy to societies like SIR and SIR Foundation. We all do something to further this specialty, and this is role is my way of fulfilling that calling. I want to help strengthen IR’s position as a reliable and important pillar of care, just like Varian has done for radiation oncology.
IRQ: Why do you continue to practice medicine, rather than go full-time in industry?
FF: Being clinically relevant is a foundational part of being a good industry leader. Regardless of where we are as industry professionals, speaking to other IRs, administrators and people who affect care is important. When you’ve actually performed the procedure that you’re talking about—and have done it within the past month—it makes a difference. It keeps us knowledgeable, relevant and it helps us be better advocates for our patients.
I’m immensely grateful for my IR practice partners who have sacrificed their time to allow me to fulfill my duties at Varian as well. Without their help and understanding, it would not be possible to also practice.
IRQ: What do you consider the most crucial aspect of your leadership style?
FF: Team building and partnership. At every stage of my career, I have been privileged to have collaborative partners and an amazing team. From my early days in ROTC, working at a bar, finding an amazing peer group at Northwestern, my clinical practice or my marriage–the spirit of partnership and collaboration have been the foundation of how I find joy in businesses and life.
Whether it was the clinical practice I was in or the industry opportunities, having that atmosphere was important to me. My successes in life aren’t mine alone. They are successes I’ve been lucky enough to share with those who support, mentor and are alongside me.
IRQ: There is a growing trend of IRs in corporate leadership positions. Why do you think that is?
FF: There’s something about the specialty that lends itself to innovation. Interventionalists are comfortable in creation. Creation and innovation are similar. Creating is entrepreneurial—you start with nothing and grow it. One of my greatest mentors defined IRs as having a superpower—the ability to bring imaging diagnoses and therapies together. This is the future of healthcare innovation. The sense of being comfortable in the unknown tends to make us more willing to try different things, be it in a procedure or in business, to move care forward.
IRQ: What advice do you live by?
FF: “When you only do the job you are expected to do, you will fail.”
