Until the beginning of this year, Corazon Consulting Inc. founder Jackie Johnson had been the company's sole shareholder, with the weight of day-to-day decision making resting on her shoulders alone. Now, Ms. Johnson no longer bears that burden alone.

As part of a restructuring designed to spur growth, Corazon, a Ross Township-based firm that advises hospitals and health care providers in developing in-house cardiovascular programs, is increasing its number of shareholders to six and expanding its board of directors. Ms. Johnson, CEO, said the moves bring differing points of view to the table and give employees a greater sense of ownership. "As you become more successful, you need other people to help you," she said. "You can't grow as a company on your own. ... The members of the firm who have invested in the company definitely are treating the company as their own."

Furthermore, the new board, which will consist of five voting members and three outside advisors, will place accountability on more than one shoulder. The board previously had only three members. "It has put us all in the same mindset as any owner of a company would be," said president Karen Hartman, who is a board member, as well as a shareholder. "... It hits your own pocket. This is now your money you have invested into a company. How the company will grow and prosper is how you will grow and prosper."

Voting members on the board include both employees and outside, non-shareholder members. Jeanette Thomas, president of Wexford-based information technology consulting group Tachyon Solutions and a non-shareholder board member, said outside members and advisors help bring objectivity to the board. "I think it will help the company because you need to have that outside perspective," she said. Along with restructuring its board, Corazon also plans to introduce a so-called phantom stock option this month for its 14 other non-shareholder employees. The stock plan would reward employees annually with a certain percentage of company profit, without giving them shareholder rights or stock certificates. The board and shareholder restructuring is part of an initiative aimed at increasing its operating revenue to $5 million within five years. It's buoyed by plans to increase the company's sales force and offer new products and services. Corazon hopes to hire a full-time sales director soon.

Creating Credibility

Corazon already is seeing results from its restructuring. In February, the company signed roughly $500,000 in new contracts -- the most successful month in its brief history. Ms. Hartman also attributes some of the recent success to an improved health care market, additional marketing and branding efforts and word-of-mouth referrals. Corazon also has introduced an electronic consulting product that assists clients in developing angioplasty programs. It also introduced a CD with information for hospitals about treating patients in universal beds, or one bed throughout a hospital stay. The CD helped educate physicians at the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The hospital, which opened last year, is using universal beds throughout its 90-bed facility. Richard Davis, COO at the Heart Hospital, said Corazon was instrumental in the $83 million project's development, helping with everything from feasibility studies to determining the number of nurses needed. "Simply, they had a range of staff with a range of experience that gave us the answers we needed," Mr. Davis said. Ray Graeca, president of Dubois Regional Medical Center in Clearfield County, said the company's extensive knowledge base, especially regarding national health care trends, contributed to his selecting Corazon to help the center combine its cardiology and radiology units. "(Corazon's) knowing what is going on in other areas of the country is very helpful for us," Mr. Graeca said. "Also, their pricing is fair and reasonable." Corazon currently has about 20 clients. Brand awareness has been an important part of Corazon's marketing strategy. It recently published a book, "Getting to the Heart of It," to help get its name out. It sold more than 500 copies and helped attract some new clients, Ms. Hartman said.

Something New

Ms. Johnson's knowledge of the heart industry came from serving as a nurse and director of the Mercy Heart Institute, a program she helped build. But she wanted to try something different. She initially formed a company called Healthcare Visions. She later split off from Healthcare Visions and took 10 employees with her to form Corazon in 2001. "Jackie's a very strong business woman, but she has a clinical side to her and a personal side to her," said Ms. Hartman, one of the people who went with Ms. Johnson after the split. "She can walk in a room and people will stop and listen." She pointed to a time that she and Ms. Johnson were discussing a controversial cardiology-related topic with a group of physicians and hospital administrators. The group had a differing view on the subject than they did. According to Ms. Hartman, Ms. Johnson told the group it needed to understand that changes were occurring in the marketplace. Instead of kicking her out of the room, they listened and tried to understand her points. Ms. Thomas said Corazon has a good chance of meeting its goal of having $5 million operating revenue within five years.

"I think it's aggressive, but knowing Jackie and knowing her vision and her drive, it's certainly doable and they can surpass that," she said.