OBL Practice Building in a Rural Setting

In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. Joe Couvillon and our guest host Dr. Donald Garbett discuss the opportunities and obstacles that arise with building an OBL practice in the Shenandoah Valley and lessons learned from Dr. Couvillon’s trip to Tanzania with Road2IR.

Dr. Couvillon recounts the process of building up his referral base for uterine fibroid embolizations (UFEs) in his practice, and shares his current experience in doing the same for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). He employs marketing strategies such as reading noninvasive studies and offering his services, as well as fostering a collaborative approach with cardiologists and vascular surgeons. He also speaks to the importance of reaching out to the referring doctors’ staff (NPs, PAs, and administrative assistants), since they can influence referral patterns.

In addition, Dr. Couvillon updates us on his recent trip with Road2IR. He gives his perspective on teaching procedures to IR fellows in Tanzania and being inspired by their enthusiasm and resourcefulness.