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 of the One program, 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 One 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.

 

Birgitta Karlman, MSN, MS, RN
Program Coordinator

The medical administrative face of One, Birgitta Karlman brings to the program a comprehensive background in medicine, medical management, and wellness management. The perfect complement to medical director Heather 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.

Lisa Hellie, MS
Experience Relationship Manager

Lisa Hellie joined the Center for Health in 1991 after earning her B.S. in Health Education from Walla Walla College, Washington. She later took her Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology from California State University, Chico. Lisa’s passion for a healthy lifestyle extends beyond the workplace and frequently finds her horseback riding, cycling, and skiing with her husband and three children. When not consumed by her work and family, Lisa relaxes with work in the garden.

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. 

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.