Victor Rafa, DC
Victor Rafa, DC, provides integrative, whole-body care at Gateway Rehab and Wellness Center, Inc. in Mission Viejo, California. At the group medical practice, Dr. Rafa teaches patients not only how to get out of pain, but how to avoid it in the future.
Dr. Rafa graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1997 with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in business. After graduating, Dr. Rafa worked at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach assisting in the operating room and the functional rehabilitation department. After an injury, chiropractic care helped Dr. Rafa recover and he’s been in love with it ever since. He then went back to school and graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier in 2001 with a Doctor of Chiropractic. He opened his first office, Healthy Solutions, in 2002 and Gateway Rehab and Wellness Center, Inc. in 2006.
Dr. Rafa is a family man with a wife and two kids. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, camping, and is an avid mountain biker.
Vinod Malhotra, MD
Dr. Vinod Malhotra, MD is a Board Certified Internal Medicine and Cardiology specialist who has been practicing for 44 years. He graduated from Government Medical College Amritsar, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. Dr. Malhotra is the lead physician with the Bloodless Program. His bedside matters are beyond every patients expectations. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his two daughters.
Cindy Faraguna, NP
Cindy Faraguna is the nurse practitioner here at Gateway Rehab and Wellness Center. She has had experience in various careers focusing on health and wellness. Cindy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Safety Studies from Sacramento State University in 1999. She has experience educating communities about health promotion and disease prevention. She became a personal trainer because she believes keeping the body moving and physically healthy is key to optimal health. Cindy continued to seek other paths to help educate others on living with optimal health. She returned to school to become a registered nurse at Saddleback College and graduated in 2004. Her nursing career has been in a step-down ICU unit, post-anesthesia care unit/perioperative services/, and emergency room. Cindy went to Chamberlain University for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and graduated in 2019. She continued her education at Chamberlain University for her Masters of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner and graduated in 2021. She loves to spend time with her two daughters, family, and friends in her free time. Cindy loves to be active with her girls, cook, work out, travel, and seek new adventures.
Jack Schlingman
Dr. Schlingman began his pre-chiropractic education at Rutgers College in New Jersey where he studied the basic sciences such as inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, along with basic physiology and anatomy courses. After completing his study there, he was accepted at Life Chiropractic College in Marrietta, Georgia. During his four years at Life, courses included biochemistry, a major emphasis on anatomy and human physiology, X-ray, diagnosis, chiropractic adjusting techniques and patient care in the Life College Public Clinic. After graduating in 1982 Dr. Schlingman moved to the Saddleback Valley area in to establish his practice.
Dr. Schlingman is married to Anh and they have two children, Drew, and Logan.
Azita Ansari, RN
Azita Ansari is a Registered Nurse, graduated from Paris/France and certified in California since 1993. Her work experience started in hospitals, operating room and home health care.
Azita earned her certification as an Aesthetic injector with Allergan and Mertz in 2002, and started to work with various plastic Surgeons in Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
In addition, Azita extended her education in becoming an Acupuncturist/ herbalist in 2000 from Emperor’s college of oriental Medicine. Her expertise as an Acupuncturist is pain management, hormonal imbalance, insomnia, stress management and overall to establish a state of harmony within the body, mind and spirit.
Azita is a big believer in maintaining a healthy life style and youthful appearance.
Moreover, Azita has lived in 3 different continents and speaks 4 languages.
Lina Khanukayev, DPT
Lina obtained her B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience from University of California, San Diego and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University. Lina is also a registered yoga teacher and enjoys incorporating yoga into her rehab approach. Lina is especially passionate about restoring pain free movement in her patients allowing them to return to do the things they love. Outside of the office Lina enjoys powerlifting, camping, traveling, and being a dog mom.