Frank Scanlon was a good guy, a dedicated paramedic and substitute teacher. At the time, he was involved with Dr. Julie Morris-Devlin. They fell in love despite not wanting anything long-term. Frank had given up his schooling to put his brother Joe through medical school. Joe and Frank were very close growing up and still are. Frank befriended bad girl Lark Madison and became her foster parent because her mother Susanne was in an institution. Lark caused all kinds of problems for Julie and Eve Lambert. Lark was even convinced that Frank was in love with her. She ended up sleeping with Dr. Jake Marshak and (thanks to Chris Ramsey) Jake was arrested for statutory rape. Frank eventually decided to throw in the towel and wanted to give her back to social services, but Lark ran away and eventually wound up on the hospital roof. Frank talked her down while standing on the ledge, and wound up falling himself. Lark was committed to the psych ward but soon escaped. Frank was near death, despite Bennett's efforts. The family and friends gathered and last rites were performed. Bennett decided to try an experiment cell growth drug, DL56. Frank the miraculously recovered, but was strangely different, only Lark, who caught Devlin injecting him, knew Frank was hooked on the stuff. Frank turned on Julie and was furious that Devlin, who caught Lark snooping, sent her back to "juvie." Frank eventually beat his addiction to DL56, but lost his job as a paramedic in the process. Joe refused to lie on Frank's behalf, and that was the end of their close relationship. Frank teamed up with Courtney Kanelos and they began to break up Joe and Karen's romance. Frank and Courtney framed Joe as a sex addict and Karen dumped him and called off their engagement. In the end, their dirty scheme was exposed and Joe and Karen reunited. Surprisingly, Frank and Courtney grew close in the process of schemes and developed feelings for each other. Frank soon learned HE was Neil's father and not Joe. Frank wanted to come forward but Courtney made him keep his mouth shut. Joe learned the truth and was furious at Frank, Courtney and Karen (who knew the truth also).

Neil soon became ill and Joe gave Neil an unauthorized bone marrow transplant without Frank or Courtney's consent. Neil made a full recovery and Frank and Joe became close again. Joe let Frank take the credit for saving Neil because Joe was still on probation. Frank became very determined to make a family for him, Neil and Courtney and they moved in together. Frank, who needed cash, began gambling and eventually landed in heavy debt. Frank was shot at the Recovery Room while "borrowing" some cash. Frank wasn't the intended target (mob target Matt Harmon was) and he made a complete recovery. Courtney soon was alarmed by the dangerous situations Frank was always in. Frank's life took another turn when Julie came forward as Christina's biological mother. Frank realized Julie had been telling the truth about being pregnant while in Ferncliff and that he was Christina's father. Frank allowed Christina to remain in a happy home with Scott Baldwin and Lucy Coe, Frank vowed Julie would never get her hands on Christina, but didn't plan on consenting Scott's adoption. Despite Lucy's pleas, Scott allowed Frank to spend one day with Christina in the park to say goodbye to his daughter. Suddenly, Frank was struck from behind and knocked unconscious by Julie, who kidnapped Christina and fled to parts unknown in a clever disappearing act. Frank and Courtney continued their relationship but it became strained with Courtney's constant scheming. Frank and Joe were furious when Courtney told Mary that Joe had been exposed to HIV. Frank was even more disgusted with Courtney when she tried to have Jamal Woods arrested in order to claim the reward money. The last straw in his patience came when Courtney told a reporter that a member of the hospital staff had been exposed to HIV. Frank and Victor set a trap and Courtney was videotaped badmouthing everyone in town. Neil accidentally played the tape at the Phantom Ball. Frank washed his hands of Courtney and she seemingly disappeared along with the year 2000.

Frank is now raising Neil as a single father and let Jamal rent the apartment behind the Recovery Room. Frank soon found himself attracted to Karen, who began returning those feelings after a stint in drug rehab. Frank purchased an old computer at a charity auction as a gift to Karen, but that would soon be a major mistake. Frank soon began chatting with someone in 1973, turns out, that person, Cookie, was Rhonda Wexler, Karen's mother, as a troubled teenager. Frank urged Cookie/Rhonda not to attend the dance at the high school (where she would sleep with Scott and get pregnant with Karen). Cookie passed out drunk and Karen soon disappeared when she was ready to donate a liver to Arianna. Lucy was the only one who actually believed Frank, but Ian and the Chief had to believe him in hopes of bringing Karen home to donate a liver since Rhonda, Karen's mother, who was a match, had cirrhosis of the liver. Frank traveled back in time and successfully destroyed the computer and was transported back in time (After encountering himself as a child and Mary too) and Frank and Karen happily reunited and Karen donated a liver to Arianna. Frank confessed to Karen, and a picture taken by Frank as Child with the older Frank was found, but the two burned it and all memory of that has been erased. Karen and Frank soon bid farewell to Joe and agreed to keep an eye on batty Gabriela, who dumped Joe for vampire Caleb.

Karen and Frank were witnesses to the various victims (living and dead) of Caleb's vampire reign during the summer of 2001. They participated in his demise. Chris had secretly taken a vial of Gabriela's blood, planning to inject himself as an experiment. Karen struggled with him over the needle, and she was stabbed. She began developing superpowers, an increased libido, all of which affected her relationship with Frank. When Frank realized what was happening, he made a deal with Chris (who wanted Karen) that he would leave town if Chris cured Karen. Rafe intervened and cured Karen while still keeping Frank and Karen together. In 'Secrets', Karen and Frank had little to no role, although they did say goodbye to Joe for the last time as he returned long enough to reconcile with Gaby and leave again.