Dr. Heather M. Pena, MD

Media Releases

Get to know Internist Dr. Heather M. Peña, who serves patients in St. Helena, California.

A Harvard-trained internist, Dr. Peña is one of the country’s leading pioneers in early diagnosis, illness prevention, health retention, and healing for more than 25 years. She is the Owner and Medical Director of Napa Valley Concierge Medicine, a unique, direct care practice located in St. Helena, California.

Actively championing the concept of healthy aging, Dr. Peña considers it a cornerstone of her medical philosophy. In fulfilling her role as a physician, she not only invests time in thoroughly assessing each patient’s health but also prioritizes the incorporation of  five fundamental building blocks for health and longevity: nutrition, exercise, stress reduction/ life balance, healthy sleep habits, and hormone balance. 

“I use the wonders of modern medical science, including sophisticated lab and genetic testing as well as imaging, as appropriate for each person, enabling me to better predict and prevent problems. I also believe that really listening to my patient’s story is often 90% of making the correct diagnosis.”

Majoring in biology at Tufts University, she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and at the top of her class. Dr. Peña went on to receive her Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School. Completing her Internal Medicine residency at UCLA, she became eligible for certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine. While at UCLA she attended an inspirational lecture presented by a doctor from the Pritikin Longevity Center. She went on to work there for 17 years, serving as Medical Director. In 2001, she was recruited to be the Medical Director for the St. Helena Hospital Center for Health.

Having always felt that nutrition is critically important, Dr. Peña was both surprised and disappointed that there was a lack of education in that area, a condition that sadly has improved little in 30 years. This motivated her to pursue integrative medicine, combining the best of modern science and technology with expertise in personalized proactive prevention.

While at St. Helena Hospital Center for Health, Dr. Peña developed two new programs: “ONE” and “Transformations”. She also served as Chair of the Medicine Department of the Hospital. She did Clinical Research on the Transformation Program: Statistically Significant Health Marker Improvements in Patients Participation in a 10 day Residential Lifestyle Optimization Program.

 In addition, she began giving lectures as faculty of the annual “Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: Caring for Our Patients and Ourselves” medical conference sponsored by the Culinary Institute and Harvard Medical School. There, she was given the opportunity to share her expertise with MDs, nutritionists, nurses, and other health care providers.

In 2011, Dr. Peña took another step toward creating a model of the kind of health care she feels is optimal and opened her own practice in St. Helena using the concierge or direct care model. Because she views the relationship with her patients as a true partnership, the concierge model allows the time for her to accompany her patients to see specialists when necessary, to make house calls on occasion, and to develop a plan unique to each patient.

Among her professional affiliations, Dr. Peña is a member of the American College of Physicians, the California Medical Association, the Napa Solano Medical Society, and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

Honors include: American Heart Association Award for the Promotion of Heart Disease Prevention; Who’s Who 2019  Top Doctor’s “ Honors Edition”; The Shackleford Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biology.

Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They manage and prevent common and complex diseases by providing comprehensive care and promoting overall well-being.

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