Marc Franzos MD, MPH, FACC, FACP

Education

Cardiovascular Fellowship 2011-2014
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Master of Public Health 2007-2009
Concentration: Emergency and Disaster Medicine
American Military University

Internal Medicine Residency 2003-2006
National Military Medical Center

Doctor of Medicine 1999-2003
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

B.S. in Chemistry & B.A. in Philosophy 1985-1990
Certificate in Conceptional Foundations of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Biography

From the cockpit to the clinic, Dr. Franzos' journey as a U.S. Navy pilot and retired Captain forged a unique blend of discipline and medical expertise. Now an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, he brings decades of distinguished service in both military and medical leadership.

A triple-threat specialist in Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, and Aerospace Medicine, he has consistently tackled complex medical challenges at the highest levels. As Chief Medical Officer at the Pentagon's clinic, Chief of Medicine at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Director of Force Medical Readiness at the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, he applied evidence-based data to transform military medical evaluations for accession, retention, and disability. His work led to the creation of critical post-COVID-19 return-to-exercise guidance and innovative strategies for preventing exercise-related collapse.

Today, Dr. Franzos continues to push the boundaries of medical science. His research and teaching focus on cutting-edge topics like artificial intelligence in cardiovascular diagnostics, while also training the next generation of leaders and ensuring the health of tactical and competitive athletes.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival High in Military, but More Prevention Called For. (https://www.usmedicine.com/clinical-topics/cardiology/sudden-cardiac-arrest-survival-high-in-military-but-more-prevention-called-for/)

Navy Cardiology: Serving the Heart of the Military (https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2023/12/01/01/42/feature-navy-cardiology-serving-the-heart-of-the-military)

Navy Shipboard Medicine: Helping Humanity and Preparing For Future Wars (https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2023/11/01/01/42/feature-navy-shipboard-medicine-helping-humanity-and-preparing-for-future-wars)

New ERASE ProgramAims to Save Lives Through Early Cardiac Risk Detection (https://www.dvidshub.net/news/495139/new-erase-program-aims-save-lives-through-early-cardiac-risk-detection)

Eat Like a Heart Doctor: Food is Fuel to Increase Readiness (https://dha.mil/News/2025/04/02/20/50/Eat-Like-a-Heart-Doctor-Food-is-Fuel-to-Increase-Readiness)

Fuel for the Fight - General Nutrition Guidance (https://health.mil/News/Gallery/Dvids-Videos/2025/03/31/video957141)

Naval Health Clinic Annapolis and Uniformed Services University; Partners to Reduce Sudden Cardiac Death (https://annapolis.tricare.mil/News-Gallery/Articles/Article/2346516/naval-health-clinic-annapolis-and-uniformed-services-university-partners-to-red)

Representative Bibliography

Franzos MA, Hellwig LD, Thompson A, Wu H, Banaag A, Hulsopple C, Walsh J, Campagna J, O'Connor FG, Haigney M, Koehlmoos T. No One Left Behind: Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Thirty-Day Survival in Military Members. Am J Med. 2025;138(6):987-993. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.02.003. PMID: 39978666.

Letizia AG, Cooper ES, Beckett CG, Porter CK, Goforth CW, Martin RP, Adams DB, Marra A, Temple-Wong M, Wessman DE, Franzos MA. Artificial Intelligence Guided Nonexpert Echocardiogram in the COVID-19 Health Action Response in Marines2.0 Study. Sonography. 2025 epub ahead of print, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sono.12541.

Saperstein A, Hellwig L, Franzos MA. Sudden vs Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Apparently Healthy, Young Adults. JAMA. 2025; 334(4):362-363. Accession Number: 40549391 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.5816.

Pierson BC, Apilado K, Franzos MA, Allard R, Mancuso JD, Tribble D, Saunders D, Koehlmoos TP. Oral medications for the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome; a systematic review of studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Neurol. 2025 Jan 15;15:1515486. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1515486. PMID: 39882369.

O’Connor FG, Franzos MA. (2021). COVID-19: Return to play or strenuous activity following infection. In KB Fields and JG Grayzel (Ed), UpToDate. Updated March 16, 2021, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/covid-19-return-to-play-or0strenuous-activity-following-infection.

O’Connor FG, Franzos MA, Nye NS, Nelson DA, Shell D, Voss JD, Anderson SA, Coleman NJ, Thompson AA, Harmon KG, Deuster PA. Summit on Exercise Collapse Associated with Sickle Cell Trait: Finding the “Way Ahead.” Curr Sports Med. 2021; 20(1):47-56.

Franzos MA, Wedam E, Haigney M, Pause Dependent Torsades de Pointes. In: Daoud E, Kalbfleisch SJ, editors. Color Atlas and Synopsis of Electrophysiology. McGraw Hill, 1 May 2015, IBSN 0071786260.

Franzos MA, Franzos TL, Woolford J, McDonald WA. Alcohol Abuse or Dependence in the Military Aviator: Guidance for the Non-Flight Surgeon. Military Medicine. 2012; 177:1191-5.

Bakken JS, Borody T, Brandt LJ, Brill JV, Demarco DC, Franzos MA, Kelly C, Khoruts A, et al.; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Workgroup. Treating Clostridium difficle infection with fecal microbiota transplantation. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2011; 9(12):1044-9.

You D, Franzos MA. Successful Treatment of Fulminant Clostridium difficile Infection with Fecal Bacteriotherapy. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008; 148:632-3.