She received her PhD at the University of San Diego. She currently educates students in the Nurse Practitioner Program in wellness and chronic illness. She is currently active in clinical hepatology and areas of publication and presentations include: Family centered care in GI and hepatology, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients and families facing chronic illness, and end of life care. Her research interests include adult and pediatric health and wellness, chronic illness across the lifespan, and management of patients with fatty liver and end stage liver disease. Dr. Hefner has received the Hepatology Associates Award 3 times from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease in research of fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and non-alcohollic steatosis (NASH).