For a long time, finding a Ballard dermatologist meant leaving Ballard. The neighborhood’s largest medical campuses don’t offer dermatology, and most Seattle dermatology practices sit four to six miles east — a real barrier when you’re trying to get a changing mole looked at.
We opened at 5350 Tallman Ave NW to close that gap. The clinic is staffed by two board-certified dermatologists, and both are accepting new patients.
Heather Mahurin, MD, FAAD
Dr. Mahurin grew up in Edmonds, so Puget Sound is home. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science at Central Washington University, then her medical degree at the University of Washington, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. After a transitional year internship at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, she completed her dermatology residency at the University of Washington, serving as chief resident.
Her practice is general and medical dermatology — skin cancer screening, acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and the everyday questions people put off asking about. Her research has focused on cutaneous lymphoma, dermatopathology, and quality of life for people living with chronic skin conditions, and she has published peer-reviewed work and presented at local and national dermatology conferences.
She describes her approach as listening to each patient’s concerns and building a care plan around their individual skin health needs. In practice, that means the visit doesn’t feel rushed.
Dr. Mahurin is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Women’s Dermatologic Society. Outside the clinic she travels, bakes, works her way through Seattle restaurants, and spends time with her husband and their dog.
John P. Scopetta, MD, FAAD
Dr. Scopetta is double board-certified — in dermatology and in pathology, with a specialization in dermatopathology. That combination is uncommon, and it matters more than it sounds: he’s trained both to examine your skin and to read the biopsy under the microscope.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Cell and Molecular Biology at Villanova University, then his medical degree at the University of Kentucky. He completed residencies in internal medicine and in anatomic and clinical pathology at Tulane University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident, followed by a dermatopathology fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and a dermatology residency at Samaritan Health Services in Salem, Oregon. Before joining Frontier he was a staff dermatopathologist at the Portland VA Medical Center, where his work included diagnostics, teaching, and multidisciplinary tumor boards.
His clinical focus includes skin cancer diagnosis and treatment, acne and rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, pigmentary disorders, inflammatory skin disease, and sun damage. He also has a particular focus on LGBTQ+ dermatology, and he sees patients in Spanish.
“Dermatology is complex, and skin is a dynamic organ system,” he says. “I strive to partner with my patients to explore individualized care that respects each patient’s unique concerns, goals, and lifestyle.”
When he’s not at the clinic he’s running, cooking, fishing, listening to music, playing trivia, or walking his collie.
When to see a Ballard dermatologist
Both physicians practice general and medical dermatology. Common reasons people come in:
- Full-body skin exams and skin cancer screening
- New, changing, or symptomatic moles
- Acne that hasn’t responded to over-the-counter or first-line treatment
- Eczema, psoriasis, and other chronic inflammatory skin conditions
- Rosacea and persistent redness
- Rashes that won’t resolve
- Warts, cysts, and benign growths
- Sun damage, pigmentation changes, and scarring
Surgical services at the Ballard clinic include biopsies and general excisions.
Biopsies read in-house
When a biopsy is needed, the sample doesn’t leave the practice. Frontier’s in-house laboratory is led by board-certified dermatopathologists — one of whom, Dr. Scopetta, sees patients in this clinic. That shortens the wait between a biopsy and an answer — results are typically back within five to seven business days, and sooner when a case needs to be expedited.
Why skin checks matter in the Pacific Northwest
The gray gets blamed for a lot, but Washington isn’t a low-risk state for skin cancer. Washington’s invasive melanoma rate has run roughly 20 percent above the national average, and case rates have been climbing for two decades. If you spend time on the water, on a boat, on a bike, or on a trail, you’re accumulating exposure whether or not you ever burn.
The reason a screening appointment is worth the hour: melanoma found while it’s still confined to the skin has a five-year survival rate of about 99 percent. Once it reaches the lymph nodes, that figure drops to roughly 77 percent. Early detection is the whole game, and a full-body skin exam is how it happens.
Getting an appointment with a Ballard dermatologist
Hours. The Ballard clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We’re open Mondays.
Referrals. Most patients with PPO coverage don’t need a referral to see a dermatologist. If your plan is an HMO, check whether your primary care provider needs to submit one first.
Insurance. We accept a wide range of commercial plans — you can see the carriers we work with on our Insurance We Accept page. If you don’t see your plan, call us and we’ll check it for you.
Scheduling. Book online, or call 206-531-3114. New patient appointments are often available the same week, and typically within two weeks.
Finding us. 5350 Tallman Ave NW, Suite 510, Seattle, WA 98107.
If something on your skin has changed, or you’ve been meaning to get a skin check for a while, you now have a Ballard dermatologist a few blocks away. We have room for you.