Learning an OBL Practice Before Going All In

Dr. Alikhani started working at an OBL three years out of fellowship. He became the solo practitioner at an outpatient center that had recently lost its physician to retirement. The practice is OBL based, and had a medical director and staff that flew him around to get trained for his first role. This OBL was part of a company that owns around 70 labs around the country. He primarily does embolization; his favorite procedures include uterine fibroid, prostatic artery, and genicular artery embolization. He works as a W2 employee, but there are 1099 locums IRs who are able to cover him for vacation.

Due to his background in marketing, he had a strong interest in building up this OBL and diversifying its services. He works with a marketing team including one employee who has worked at this company for 10 years and is very comfortable going to marketing meetings on her own. She helps plan which meetings he needs to attend, and gives Dr. Alikhani weekly reports on who she has met with during the past week. Together, they are building up the practice. Despite this strong marketing team, Dr. Alikhani still only works 60% at this OBL and has to work 40% at a separate OBL due to lack of patients. It takes time to build relationships with referring providers and build a large patient base.

Dr. Alikhani speaks on the responsibilities of being a solo IR at an OBL. It is a great responsibility that requires planning, teamwork and a willingness to make mistakes and learn. It is a stressful adjustment from hospital work, but it can also be a very rewarding shift with the right team in place. He recommends early career IRs to start out at an established OBL that knows how to run the business. Learn from this, and then open your own center if this is something you find yourself capable of and willing to do.