Dr van den Heever was born in Bloemfontein and matriculated from Fichardt Park High School in 1994. She I obtained several qualifications from the University of the Free State, from where she obtained a B.Sc degree with the major subjects being Microbiology and Physiology. For her Intern year she worked at Eben Donges in Worcester and then relocated to Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad for her Community Service and then another year as Medical Officer in the ICU and the department of anaesthesiology. In 2006 she worked in Tullamore, Ireland in the Emergency Medicine Department. In July 2006 she returned to Bloemfontein and was appointed as a Medical Officer in Pelonomi Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This ICU at Pelonomi was a Trauma ICU and she rotated on a six monthly basis with Universitas Multidisciplinary ICU. There she worked alongside Dr’s M Spruyt and A Loubser. She also worked in her spare time in Anaesthesiology and obtained a Diploma in Aneasthetics from the Colleges of Medicine South Africa in 2006.
She further developed a special interest in the ICU and even completed a Masters Degree in Critical Care (M.Med.Sc – Critical Care). She obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Transfusion Medicine at the University of the Free State under the Supervision of Prof Vernon Louw. Later at Pelonomi she was appointed the Senior Medical Officer of the ICU and was involved in several committees, one being that of Transfusion Medicine. She worked a total of 10 years in the ICU and then resigned and joined the Elite Med team on a full time basis for 4 years from 2016 till 2020. In her free time during these 4 years she locumed in a Private GP Practice for 3 years.
She then started to locum as part time Medical Officer for Dr S Bonnet (Oncologist). In 2020 she was appointed the Head of the Emergency Department at Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital (BBFIAH), Bloemfontein.
“Emergency Medicine is totally unpredictable, and this is what I love about it. The one moment you are busy with a cold case then all of the sudden a life-threatening emergency comes through the doors. Never a dull moment in my day.
I am proud to say that I have a well-trained team of Doctor’s and Nursing staff at BBFIAH and I foresee a bright future for all of us.”
