Ellen Dillavou, MD, FACS, RPVI is a board-certified vascular surgeon who is highly-skilled in advanced procedures designed to treat vascular disorders. Let’s get to know Dr. Dillavou, how she came to be a vascular surgeon, and what she loves about summer.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about summer?
I have two teenage boys, so I enjoy spending time with them – travelling both locally and more broadly. For us, summer is filled with small trips with the kids. I had never been around a beach before coming to North Carolina, so that’s a top destination for us. When it comes to summer eating, foods like fresh, sweet corn and garden tomatoes bring me back to my farm days.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up on a farm in Albert Lea, Minn., as the oldest of four girls –so I had my fair share of farm work and babysitting in my early youth. I didn’t realize I wanted to become a doctor until college when I began as a psychology major, which sparked my interest in medicine. During medical school, I fell in love with surgery. I have always enjoyed working with my hands and the technical nature of vascular surgery made it a perfect fit. One of my college professors once said ‘There’s no A minus in vascular surgery –
it’s either a win or a failure’, and he was right. I figure I can help my patients win by improving their quality of life through advanced vascular procedures.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a doctor?
Hands down, it’s about helping people feel better. When I was choosing a career, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. As a doctor, I get to do that every day. Our interventions help people enjoy a better quality of life and that’s very important to me. I also enjoy building longterm relationships with my patients – listening to them and developing a therapeutic partnership that includes education and open discussion, which means we get to work together toward a common goal.
Q: What’s up next for WakeMed’s Vascular Surgery program?
We’re very growth-focused right now and that’s exciting. There’s so much population growth overall, and since the risk for vascular problems increases with age – an aging population means more patients who need our services. But, it’s not just about growth – it’s about bringing new and advanced services
for our patients. The Southeast has the highest amputation rate in the U.S., so I’m proud that we’re bringing in Dr. Sira Duson from the University of Maryland to work with Dr. Siva Ketha in interventional cardiology to develop a multidisciplinary limb salvage service designed to reduce preventable amputations and to better coordinate care for patients who are at risk for amputation. We’re also welcoming another new surgeon, Dr. Chris McQuinn, later this summer to support our continued growth. It’s great to see WakeMed investing in the services our community really needs, and to be a part of this growth.
Q: You’re the leader of WakeMed’s Vascular Surgery division. What do you think makes a good physician leader?
There are different leadership styles, and I have been most motivated by leaders who foster a spirit of unity and lead by supporting the team. I am so fortunate to have great support from our WakeMed administration and want to make sure to support my team in the same way. My goal is to figure out
where people are most comfortable and give them an environment where they can flourish. This also involves getting to know people personally to figure out what is important to them, little and big things, and trying to honor those needs. I think that is what builds trust and loyalty – to feel like you are seen
as a person and that your team cares about you. I believe people in healthcare are overwhelmingly smart, hardworking people who want to do a good job because that is who they are. My goal as a leader is to create an environment where they can do just that.
