While on the West Coast for SIR EDGE 2025, I had the opportunity to visit two very different IR practices: the Dotter Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, and the Advanced Vascular Centers (AVG). I was privileged to witness the brilliant work being done in both these practice settings, and my experience only strengthened what we all already know to be true—every practice type is fulfilling unique patient needs.
The Dotter Institute has a heavy legacy behind it. Established in 1990 and named in honor of Dr. Charles Dotter, this institution has built a strong reputation as a leader in IR research. I was able to tour their incredible facilities and view their research labs—including the room where Dr. Dotter completed the first percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.
I was not only impressed by the space and resources dedicated entirely to advancing the future of IR, but also by the way that the IRs at the Dotter Institute work in a seamlessly multispecialty environment. While there, I viewed a neuro IR procedure and witnessed multiple different specialties collaborating to achieve the best outcome for the patient.
Dr. Dotter’s innovative, agile legacy is alive and well at the Dotter Institute, and I am endlessly grateful to John Kaufman, MD, FSIR, and his team for the opportunity to experience it first-hand.
While in Portland, I also visited AVG, run by Mary Costantino, MD, FSIR. AVG is a private practice, free standing clinic with two Oregon locations, and the culture of the practice was apparent as soon as I stepped inside. Every aspect—from arrival to departure—is set up and considered from the patient’s perspective. The nature of a dedicated, private IR practice is that Dr. Costantino and her staff are able to provide in depth longitudinal care, following patients for months if needed.
I soon learned that this accessible, patient-driven culture has been carefully crafted by Dr. Costantino and her colleagues through an unrelenting dedication to collaboration and patient care. Her staff works together to coordinate and comprehensively deliver efficient care, with each member serving as an involved and informed member of the care team.
At both facilities I visited, I experienced a strong desire to share—research, insight, challenges and triumphs. Each are not only fulfilling a crucial role in their community but are showcasing what it looks like when IR is a leader in healthcare delivery, no matter the practice model. This is the spirit and value of IR that exists everywhere that IR therapies are being provided, and what we, at SIR, are working to document and quantify for you.
Within the fall issue of IR Quarterly, you will find stories of IR excellence, as well as practice resources and insights that have been created and shared with members, by members. In one story, and IR shares his experience navigating Medicare denials, while the authors of a new SIR Practice Guidance Document discuss the ins and outs of building a percutaneous arteriovenous fistulas program.
When knowledge, resources and excellence are shared, all IRs thrive. Thank you to every member who has opened their doors to me, and to every member and volunteer who has dedicated their time and energy to supporting their colleagues and making IR a true leader in healthcare.
