Surveying the Landscape


Pain intervention in a rural practice


David Shelley, MD Artery and Vein Specialists of Idaho, Pocatello, Idaho


How would you defi ne your practice model? David Shelley, MD: Rural practice, 100% IR


How many IRs, NP/PAs, technologists and support staff do you have? DS: 0


What services and therapies make up the bulk of your practice? DS: Venous ablation, peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis, kyphoplasty, ovarian vein embolization and CT biopsies.


What support do you have when you find yourself in a challenging case? DS: No one local, just friends in other cities.


Do you ever do interdisciplinary cases? DS: Oncology occasionally.


What is one thing you wish you could change from your current practice? DS: Nothing.


What is your favorite aspect of your practice? DS: No call but no diagnostic radiology work and no radiology partners.


What advice do you have for a trainee considering practicing in your type of practice setting? DS: Get experience fi rst in a regular IR practice.


Ezana M. Azene, MD, PhD J. Dana Dunleavy, MD


Ezana Azene, MD, PhD: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what it’s like to be an IR in a rural practice? J. Dana Dunleavy, MD: I grew up in a small rural community and consider myself a farmer physician. I practice in two diff erent settings right now; one is in Buff alo, which is not rural and not underserved. But the area I focus on most is Olean, NY.


Want to share your


practice profi le? Whether you’re in a traditional model or trying something new, we want to hear from you. Please email Hope Racine, senior editorial manager at hracine@sirweb.org, or follow the QR code to submit to an email form.


When defi ning a “rural” practice, one of the things I think of is that there’s only one interventional radiologist. There’s never a time when you have someone else in the same region. The other aspect that I think we see in rural hospitals is you don’t have all specialties. So, for instance, in this hospital there


On episode 65 of the Kinked Wire, host Ezana M. Azene, MD, PhD, speaks with J. Dana Dunleavy, MD, about the triumphs and tribulations of small and rural IR practices, particularly in the realm of spinal interventions.


Dr. Dunleavy is the medical director of Atlas Interventional Radiology in Buff alo, NY. He is also the co-founder of Traveler IR Services, a group dedicated to bringing IR services to communities with unmet needs.


This transcript has been edited for clarity and fl ow.


24 IRQ | SUMMER 2025


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