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TRANSFORMATIONS™ Staff
Heather M. Peña, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Peña's commitment to finding new, more effective ways to prevent
illness and provide for patient well-being is deep-seated and
longstanding-as evidenced by her more than 20 years of pioneering work in
this field.
Most recently, Dr. Peña served as Medical Director of the Pritikin Longevity Center. Previously, she had served as Director of Women's Health at Pritikin and, starting in 1984, as staff physician. She was also scientific advisor to Pritikin@Home, helping design the nutritional supplement protocols for this online outreach program. In addition, Dr. Peña was medical director for the Santa Monica Hospital Weigh To Live Program and served on the staff of Saint John's Hospital/Center for Health Assessment in Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Healing Arts Center.
At the Healing Arts Center, Dr. Peña gained extensive experience working with allied health professionals who practice integrated medicine, such as acupuncture, and whose work tends to focus on the role of both mind and body in health.
Dr. Peña was graduated from Harvard Medical School, following a distinguished undergraduate career at Tufts, where she was summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, receiving a BS in Biology. She completed her three-year residency in Internal Medicine at UCLA.
In addition to her role as Medical Director, Heather Peña is Medical Director of the St. Helena Center for Health. She is a frequent lecturer on such topics as cancer prevention, heart disease, women's health, and vitamin and mineral supplementation. Dr. Peña also contributed the chapter on breast cancer prevention to the book, Doctors Orders: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy.
In its intense focus on one individual patient the program is as
much a reflection of Dr. Peña's personality, as it is of her health and
wellness philosophy.
James A. Peters, MD
Dr. Peters offers Primary Care with an Integrative Medicine Approach.
Integrative Medicine provides prevention and intervention treatment
options for chronic diseases and conditions to help clients achieve
optimal health.
He is Physician that is Board Certified in Preventive Medicine with a
focus in Integrative, Lifestyle, and Nutritional Medicine. He has
extensive primary medicine experience. Dr. Peters is highly trained in
the areas of Diabetes, Asthma, Weight Management, Smoking Cessation,
Heart Disease, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, COPD, Osteoporosis,
Bio-Identical Hormone replacement therapy, and other health problems.
Dr. Peters utilizes the best of regular medicine and integrates
evidence-based interventions from nutrition, botanicals, and alternative
treatment methods. He is passionate about educating and motivating
people to make healthier lifestyle choices.
Dr. Peters is a graduate of Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine
with his MD degree. He holds a second doctoral degree from Loma Linda
University in Public Health (DrPH) with a special emphasis in health
promotion and prevention. His master’s degree (MPH) is in epidemiology,
which explores the factors that cause health or disease. Dr. Peters has
been active in a number of large research studies. Dr. Peters also holds
an adjunct associate professor faculty appointment with Loma Linda
University, in Southern California. He is also a Registered Dietitian,
RD, and has a strong appreciation for the power of nutrition and the
role it plays in health. Additionally, he is a Registered Respiratory
Therapist and has over 30 years of experience with various lung health
problems.
Dr. Peters is a member of the Napa County Medical Society, the
California Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the
Pennsylvania State Medical Society, the American Diabetes Association,
the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Dietetic
Association, the American Association of Respiratory Care, and is a
founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Lisa Hinz, Ph.D., ATR
Clinical Psychologist
Lisa Hinz is a clinical psychiatrist and a registered art therapist. She
graduated from Louisiana State University with a doctorate in psychology.
Dr. Hinz earned a post-doctoral certificate in art therapy at the
University of Louisville. She is currently an adjunct professor in the
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Master of Arts degree program in art therapy.
For more than twenty years, Dr. Hinz has focused her clinical work on
helping people with eating disorders. Dr. Hinz has published professional
articles and presented research papers on the prevention and treatment of
eating problems. She brings with her wealth of knowledge of the
psychological aspects of eating to the Transformations Program.
Outside of work, Dr. Hinz enjoys watercolor painting, especially scenes of
beautiful Napa Valley. In addition, she loves teaching art history and art
techniques in her children’s elementary school classrooms. Lisa is proud
to be married to cardiothoracic surgeon, Andreas Sakopoulos and is mother
to their three children.
Vicki Saunders, MS, RD
Nutrition Educator
For 25 years, Vicki Saunders has been counseling individuals and
organizations on optimal nutrition. Vicki is an expert
in diet behavior modification, having helped thousands make a comfortable,
step-by-step transition to healthful eating. Ms. Saunders received her MS in Medical Dietetics from
Ohio State University. She began her career as a dietician in Tennessee
and joined the St. Helena Center for Health in 1979. She has extensive
experience with therapeutic diets, vegetarian diets and eating disorders.
In addition to her counseling work for the program, she lectures on
nutrition and teaches cooking classes.
Russell Melgar, BA, CPT, CFT
Fitness Specialist and Coordinator
Russell brings an extensive background of instructing
various sports and fitness activities as well as practical and theoretical
training in rehabilitation, exercise and massage to the Center for Health."
He received his Bachelors Degree from San Francisco State University in
Broadcast Communication Arts. Russell has a second-degree black belt in
Goju-Ryu Karate. Russell is also a certified personal trainer, certified
fitness therapist, and a certified massage therapist/health educator. He
was most recently employed by Meadowood Napa Valley Health Spa as a
personal trainer and gym manager."
Marcia W. Sturm, MA
Stress Management Therapist / Yoga Instructor
Marcia has a Masters Degree in Psychology from Sonoma
State University. Her thesis integrated her 20-year yoga experience (ten
years as a teacher) with modern psychological therapies to assist
individuals on their journey toward wellness and self-discovery. Marcia
has discovered progressive relaxation and guided visualization
techniques direct clients toward a more stress-free life, while gentle
Yoga postures help build strength, flexibility and self-awareness.
Certified in Integrative Yoga Therapy and licensed in massage, Marcia
combines these skills to offer students a supportive environment in
which to grow toward wellness and self-discovery. When not on the Yoga
mat, Marcia enjoys reading, playing golf and hiking
Birgitta Karlman, MSN, MS, RN
Program Coordinator
The medical administrative face of the program, Birgitta Karlman brings to
the program a comprehensive background in medicine, medical management,
and wellness management. The perfect complement to medical director Dr.
Peña, Ms. Karlman spent the previous seven years as program coordinator
for St. Helena Hospital's McDougall Program, a highly regarded lifestyle
change program.
Before that, Ms. Karlman served as Director of Staff Development and
Continuing Education at Oregon's Portland Adventist Medical Center. She
holds an MS in Nursing Administration from the University of California,
San Francisco, as well as an MS in Health Education and Teaching from
Portland State. She completed her internship at Stanford Hospital. She
also happens to be a proud native of Sweden.
Shellie L. Klimen, MSN, RN, PHN
Program Coordinator
Shellie Klimen, MSN, RN, PHN, brings extensive experience in health
promotion and prevention. She holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in
Exercise Physiology and a Masters of Science Degree in Nursing from
Samuel Merritt College in Oakland. She is passionate about educating and
motivating people to make healthier lifestyle choices and feels
fortunate to use both degrees in a capacity such as the Transformations
program. Shellie's healthy lifestyle extends beyond the workplace and
she spends most of her free time outdoors.
Erick Neuharth,
Executive Chef in Nutritional Services (NS)
Erick Neuharth is the executive chef in Nutritional Services (NS). Erick
comes to SHH from Hidden Valley Country Club, where he was executive chef
for over two years. Prior to that, he was executive sous chef at Konocti
Harbor Inn for 10 years and worked for two years at the Hyatt Regency
Hotel in Sacramento, across from the capital.
Erick is a graduate of the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon,
and has continued his education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
at Greystone.
Erick lives in Lake County with his wife, Kristina, who is a first grade
teacher, and their son, Joseph, who was born here in the Family Birth
Place (FBP). He reports that his family’s experience in the FBP was
wonderful.
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