Dr. Nancy Heavilin believes health care is a right, not a privilege, and refuses to think of her patients as customers. She’s a pediatrician who doesn’t shy away from the reality of the “hellscape of American health care,” yet still views her work caring for the children of Central Oregon as an honor and a privilege.
“Anyone who has interfaced with American health care has a story — or 20 — about how it failed them. And nine times out of 10, I’m sure it’s not how the provider wanted the things to go, either, but they’re operating in a system that is just not built for caring.”
Throughout her medical career, Heavilin has witnessed disparities in the health care system, driven by corporate interests and insurance companies practicing medicine without a license. In her work, she’s worked closely with children from diverse backgrounds and various medical complexities. To Heavilin, one of the most important aspects of her job is to recognize the humanity within medicine, because she’s seen the positive impacts on children’s health when they’re cared for as a whole, rather than as a collection of symptoms to treat.
“It takes a lot more nuance and expertise to adequately care for folks who have been on the more complicated end of these social drivers of health.”
In medical school, Heavilin had set her sights on surgery until pediatric rotations revealed her career path. She connected with the holistic approach of pediatrics and the ability to understand kids’ stories alongside their medical challenges.
“[The peds team] wanted to know — what’s going on at home? What’s going on at school? What are you eating? How are you playing? What do you want to do when you grow up? How do you fit within your family system, and how is that impacting your psychosocial development?”
Throughout her residency, Heavilin worked across the spectrum of health care. She spent 80+ hour weeks at Children’s Colorado, a nationally ranked pediatric hospital, with every need at her disposal. In addition, she worked rotations at Denver Health, a public hospital offering comprehensive health care services to all, regardless of their ability to pay.
“Going between super high-tech, complicated, forefront medicine, and then running on a bare-bones, nonprofit budget and still trying to provide the exact same level of care really opened my eyes,” Heavilin said. “And in fact, I would argue that it takes a lot more nuance and expertise to adequately care for folks who have been on the more complicated end of these social drivers of health.”
After residency, she stayed with Children’s Colorado, where she cared for children with various medical complexities in their special care clinic. “I found that to be a really interesting, challenging area to focus on,” Heavilin said. “A child could come in with a cough, and you’re like, well, is it a cold or are they in heart failure?”
Heavilin’s background has allowed her unique insights into pediatric care, including the ability to quickly identify children who are ill and those who are not, and the knowledge that if a mother is telling her something is wrong with her child, it’s always something to approach seriously. When asked how she builds trust with her patients, she shared how she identifies situations where “the music and lyrics don’t match.” Heavilin isn’t afraid to let a sulky teenager know he doesn’t look fine after he’s shrugged and sworn he is just that.
Heavilin is a top pediatrician at Mosaic Community Health, but is quick to attribute the high level of care she provides to her exceptional team of colleagues and the supportive structure of Mosaic.
“Mosaic is an organization operating at a high level of medical competence that is guided by humanity,” Heavilin said. “Any one of [my colleagues] could be sitting here talking to you. Everybody wants the best for our patients and is going to go to bat for them. And I think that’s what makes it sustainable.”
In addition to her work in pediatrics, Heavilin has formed guidelines to help physicians identify and prevent child abuse. In 2020, she was elected to the Council of Child Abuse and Neglect, an official internal council within the American Academy of Pediatrics. During her six-year appointment, she worked alongside a committee of dedicated general pediatricians and fellowship-trained child abuse specialists to create policy statements to help guide providers in their care of children who may be experiencing maltreatment.
Heavilin admits that in the current climate of physician distrust, “practicing pediatrics can be morally injurious and physically exhausting” at times. To those who view pediatricians as villainous, Heavilin says, go for it. “But you’re also not going to find people who are more dedicated, more committed, and more protective.” She continues to show up for her patients in holiday-themed jewelry, because Mosaic’s philosophy creates space for her to shift focus back to why she pursued medicine in the first place — to help people.
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