Dr. Heather A. Van Mater
Overview
I take care of kids who have autoimmune diseases, from infancy to early adulthood. Classically, it’s things like arthritis and lupus that are well-known, but there are also more rare conditions that are caused by the immune system misfiring. I have a particular interest in autoimmune brain diseases. I think it’s really important that as a pediatrician you are the child’s doctor first, but you also have to consider how families feel about care. It’s a partnership from the start. We educate families about the risks and benefits and then find a treatment plan that works. I think the best part of being a pediatric rheumatologist is the treatments we have that are so remarkable in our ability to bring kids back to their old life. It is also a specialty that allows you to follow children throughout their childhood and be a part of that journey. That is so rewarding and really fun.
Dr. Van Mater is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Kawasaki Disease. Her top areas of expertise are Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Kawasaki Disease, and Osteomyelitis in Children.
Her clinical research consists of co-authoring 38 peer reviewed articles and participating in 1 clinical trial. MediFind looks at clinical research from the past 15 years. In particular, she has co-authored 3 articles in the study of Kawasaki Disease.
Insurance
Accepted insurance can change. Please verify directly with the provider.
Accepted insurance plans:
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- HMO
- INDEMNITY
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- POS
- PPO
- OTHER MEDICAID
- STATE MEDICAID
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- HMO
- POS
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
Locations
2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27710
Clinical Research
Clinical research consists of overseeing clinical studies of patients undergoing new treatments and therapies, and publishing articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Providers who actively participate in clinical research are generally at the forefront of the fields and aware of the most up-to-date advances in treatments for their patients.
1 Clinical Trials
Duke Children's Rheumatology Creekstone
I take care of children and adolescents who have pediatric rheumatic diseases. These include juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, juvenile dermatomyositis, scleroderma, and vasculitis. I take a particular interest in taking care young people who have different forms of juvenile myositis, which is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks one’s own muscles or skin. In order to be a good rheumatologist, you have to listen to the patient and the family because we don’t have a fancy test that just gives you an answer. The answers come from what the patients and their families share with me. Some of our patients are some of the most challenging and sometimes even the sickest patients, yet we can help them get them much better. For that reason, I find my work is very hopeful because I get to see young people really persevere through very tough times and achieve really amazing things in their lives. Dr. Ardalan is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Kawasaki Disease. His top areas of expertise are Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE), Kawasaki Disease, and Sarcoidosis.
Areas of Expertise
MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.
Learn more about MediFind’s expert tiers
- Advanced
- Childhood Disintegrative DisorderDr. Van Mater isAdvanced. Learn about Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
- Experienced
- Kawasaki DiseaseDr. Van Mater isExperienced. Learn about Kawasaki Disease.
- Osteomyelitis in ChildrenDr. Van Mater isExperienced. Learn about Osteomyelitis in Children.