She is also the creator of the HeartSmarts faith-based cardiovascular health education program sponsored by New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She considers herself a life-long learner and has completed a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology, a Master of Public Health degree, and an MBA in health care administration. In addition to this, she also holds a doctorate in health and behavior studies with a concentration in health education from Columbia University.