Can a fractional CFO handle a clinic with multiple locations?

Yes. Most of our engagements are multi-location practices. The fractional model works well here because location-level P&L analysis, provider productivity tracking, and payer mix optimization follow repeatable frameworks. We have built these frameworks across dozens of multi-site clinics.

How many hours per week does a fractional CFO actually work?

Typically 10-20 hours per week, concentrated around your financial calendar. Month-end close gets more attention. Mid-month might be lighter. The hours flex based on what is happening in your business, not an arbitrary schedule.

What if I outgrow the fractional model?

That is a good problem to have. We help you hire a full-time CFO when you reach that stage and ensure a clean handoff. We have done this several times. Some clients keep us in an advisory capacity even after hiring full-time.

Is a fractional CFO the same as a part-time controller?

No. A controller runs monthly close, reconciliations, and internal controls. A fractional CFO uses those clean statements to build forecasts, model growth scenarios, and guide capital decisions. Different jobs, different skill sets. Many clinics need both, and we often work alongside your controller or bookkeeper.

How quickly can a fractional CFO start making an impact?

Most clients see concrete findings within the first 30 days. By week two, we have identified the biggest financial leaks. By month two, we have a strategic financial plan with specific targets. Compare that to a full-time hire who spends their first quarter just learning your systems.

Compare

Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO for healthcare clinics

TL;DR: For most clinics under $20M in revenue, a fractional CFO delivers the strategic depth you need at a fraction of the cost. A full-time CFO starts making sense above $20M or when daily financial complexity, multi-entity structures, or active M&A require a dedicated seat. Below: cost, commitment, healthcare expertise, and where each model fits.

Option A

Fractional CFO

Part-time CFO engagement, typically 10-20 hours per week. You get senior financial leadership without the full-time salary, benefits, or long-term commitment. Common for clinics between $2M and $20M in revenue.

Option B

Full-Time CFO

Salaried executive on your payroll, 40+ hours per week. Dedicated entirely to your organization. Typically justified when the complexity of your financial operations requires daily strategic oversight.

Category	Fractional CFO	Full-Time CFO
Annual cost	From $48,000/yr (Sorso fractional CFO starts at $4,000/mo)	BLS puts the median financial manager at $161,700/yr, before benefits, payroll taxes, bonus, or equity
Commitment	Month-to-month or quarterly contracts	Salaried employee with benefits package
Healthcare expertise	Specialists work across 20-40 clinics. Deep pattern recognition across payer mixes, denial rates, and reimbursement trends.	Depends on the hire. Most full-time CFOs come from general finance and learn healthcare on the job.
Weekly availability	10-20 hours/week, structured around your financial calendar	40+ hours/week, full-time presence
Scalability	Scale hours up or down as needs change. Add hours during M&A, reduce during steady state.	Fixed cost regardless of workload. Over-resourced in quiet months, potentially under-resourced during growth.
Time to value	2-4 weeks. Specialists have playbooks from dozens of similar clinics.	3-6 months. Needs to learn your operations, team, and industry from scratch.
Exit cost	30-day notice. No severance, no recruiting fees.	Severance, recruiting a replacement, and a 3-6 month gap with no finance leadership.
Strategic depth	Broad pattern recognition from multiple engagements. Knows what works because they have seen it work elsewhere.	Deep institutional knowledge of your specific organization. Better for complex multi-entity structures.
Management overhead	Self-directed. Shows up with a framework and runs it.	Requires management, performance reviews, career development, team integration.
Best for	Clinics $2M-$20M wanting CFO-level thinking without CFO-level cost	Organizations $20M+ with daily financial complexity requiring full-time presence

The verdict

Fractional wins for clinics under $20M. Full-time makes sense above that.

If your clinic does $2M-$20M in revenue, a fractional CFO gives you the strategic financial leadership you need at 25-40% of the cost. You get someone who has seen your exact problems at 30 other clinics and already knows the fix. Above $20M, or if you have complex multi-entity structures, daily treasury management, or active M&A, a full-time CFO starts to make sense. But even then, many $30M+ groups start fractional and only go full-time when the volume of daily decisions justifies the cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Stanislav Sukhinin, CFA

Founder of Sorso and a CFA charterholder. Before Sorso, Stan spent 19 years in corporate finance at institutions including UniCredit and Société Générale — managing a $450M loan portfolio and making senior partner at a major mezzanine lender by 29 — then built a fractional CFO firm exclusively for outpatient healthcare clinics.