Rachel graduated cum laude from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing in 1997. She also has a BA in History and Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania (1984) and had a previous career in the field of urban renewal and public administration. The death of a friend with AIDS in the late 1980s spurred her to make a career change to nursing. Rachel began her nursing career at Duke University on a surgical floor, caring for plastic surgery and urology patients. She has also worked in family practice and outpatient surgical settings. In 2006, Rachel came to UNC Hospitals to work for the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, and in July 2009 she joined the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Rachel works primarily with pediatric plastic surgery patients, specializing in the care of children born with cleft lip and palate. She is certified in ACLS and PALS and is a certified volunteer Nursing Mothers counselor. She takes a special interest in patient and family education. Rachel is the Pediatric and Craniofacial Surgery nurse for Dr. Jeyhan Wood.
Rachel may be reached at rachel_heller@med.unc.edu or (919) 843-1088.
