Dr. Heather Mikes is a Palliative Care physician who has been practicing medicine for over ten years. She grew up in South Florida. Her mom taught IDD students from pre-K to high school for over 35 years, which left a huge impression on the importance of service, compassion, & advocacy. When Heather was in high school, she volunteered as a “shadow” in her mom’s drama program, helping students with disabilities navigate acting and performing on stage. Inspired to contribute more and learn how to better serve the IDD population, in 2003 Dr. Mikes completed her undergraduate degree in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Florida and then entered medical school at Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine. Along her medical journey, she found creative ways to integrate art and humanities in her patient care. Dr. Mikes moved to Portland. OR, in 2009 for her Internal Medicine Residency at Legacy Health, and went on to complete a fellowship in Palliative and Hospice Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in 2013. As a Palliative Care Physician, she is invested in caring for people with serious illnesses and ensuring that their treatment plans align with their goals and values. For this reason, she is passionate about advanced care planning (ACP) and making sure that underserved patient groups have equal access to ACP resources.
