Life in the OBL: One Year Follow Up

In this episode, Dr. Tim Yates joins Dr. Lincoln Patel again, after one year, to discuss his life in the outpatient based lab (OBL). Dr. Yates shares how his OBL practice has been going and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the beginning of his transition. Dr. Yates gives an update on the expansion of OBL offices, and he explains the importance of building connections with other physicians and companies.

We discuss how to meet partners in the community and build relationships within the market in some unique ways, and we mention how to adapt marketing methods during a pandemic. We talk about some challenges the OBL has faced while trying to grow in the endovascular and oncology world and while trying to incorporate Y90 into the practice. We discuss why having a fixed floor unit is helpful and how equipment limitations may change how the interventionist approaches some cases.

We discuss the differences between working in a hospital and an OBL, and Dr. Yates shares what part of his new job has been the most fulfilling. We talk about the importance of learning to coach and manage personnel. Dr. Patel tells us about how he changed his career path and some lessons he learned along the way. We discuss which skills have been useful in the OBL setting, and we give some advice to those considering a transition to OBL.