Strong Hearts, Strong Women: Nutrition, Lifestyle & Sleep for Women’s Heart Health

Dr. Mayer Bellehsen is an Assistant Vice President in the Behavioral Health Service Line at Northwell Health. He is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who received his Doctorate in Clincal Psychology with a Health Emphasis in 2011from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Dr. Bellehsen has had extensive experience providing and overseeing behavioral health services for individuals and families impacted by trauma as well as publishing and teaching on topics related to the treatment of traumatic stress related conditions.

Dr. Bellehsen most recently co-developed and now oversees the Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery (CTSRR) at Northwell Health. This systemwide center provides clinical and resilience services for health care workers and community members impacted by traumatic stress throughout the Northwell service area. The center is conducting innovative research on novel treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as the impact of stress on health care worker wellbeing. Dr. Bellehsen also oversees the clinical arm of the Finest Care program which provides clinical services to NYPD uniformed officers seeking confidential behavioral health care access outside of their employer. Dr. Bellehsen is also the founding Director of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families: Northwell Health, which provides access to behavioral healthcare for US Military Service Members, Veterans and their families through partnership with the Northport VA.

Kristina Hartman is a Registered Dietitian with the Katz Institute for Women’s Health. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Oneonta and her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Hunter College.

Kristina is passionate about helping women take charge of their health through personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies. She has a special interest in women’s hormonal health—including conditions such as PCOS and diabetes—as well as supporting women through life transitions like pregnancy and menopause.

In addition to providing one-on-one nutrition counseling, Kristina actively engages in community outreach and educational programs to empower women with practical, evidence-based guidance for lifelong wellness.

Dr. Samantha Lee received her Bachelors of Science in Engineering degree, graduating summa cum laude, and her MD degree, with induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She returned to New York City to complete her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center and her clinical cardiology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital, where she served as a Chief Fellow. In her current role at Staten Island University Hospital, Samantha is the Director of Cardiac Telemetry and Program Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. She spends her time seeing hospitalized patients and educating trainees.

Margarita Oks graduated from Stony Brook Medical School in New York and completed pulmonary/critical care medicine and sleep medicine fellowships at NS-LIJ/Northwell.  She is the Program Director of the Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine fellowship  and Associate Program Director of Sleep Medicine Fellowship, at Lenox Hill Hospital, is part of the sleep/pulmonary/critical care medicine faculty and is the Associate Medical Director of the Lenox Hill Sleep Center. Dr. Oks is the medical director of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine in the Western Region for the Lung Institute of the Northwell Health System. Dr. Oks’ scholarly interests include the clinical advancement of artificial intelligence in the field of sleep medicine. She currently serves as the chair of AASM’s Artificial Intelligence in Sleep Medicine Committee. Dr. Oks’ outpatient practice focuses on a multitude of sleep and pulmonary disorders.