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Rahul Bhatia, MD, MPH, FAAP, FCCM, is a board-certified physician in both pediatrics and pediatric critical care. He has been in practice for over 20 years and is proud to serve children and their families at Caring Pediatrics in Tempe, Arizona. 

Dr. Bhatia completed his residency at the University of Tennessee, followed by a fellowship in pediatric critical care from Thomas Jefferson University. He then obtained a master's degree in public health from the University of Arizona. 

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Society for Pediatric Sedation. Dr. Bhatia is also a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Quality Assurance. He also has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and presented at national and international scientific societies.

Dr. Bhatia is affiliated with some of the best hospitals in the Valley, including Banner Health, HonorHealth Hospital, Valleywise Health, and Flagstaff Medical Center. He continues to work in pediatric emergency departments and pediatric intensive care units in the Valley and across the country. 

Dr. Bhatia is passionate about delivering family-centered, high-quality care. His public health and preventive medicine training help provide care that fosters disease prevention and health maintenance. He promises to treat every child and their family as a part of the Caring Pediatrics family.

Ashley Hineman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Valley of the Sun Pediatrics in Peoria, Arizona. Dr. Hineman has been practicing pediatric medicine and serving patients in the northwest valley since 2005. Her areas of special interest include newborn care, nutrition, allergies, and asthma. She is also an advocate for adolescent health and obesity prevention.

Dr. Hineman was born in Alabama. She attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and graduated with honors in 1997. While there, she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. In 2002, she graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2005 and is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Hineman is also a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Dr. Hineman is honored to be awarded the "2020 Most Compassionate Doctor Award" and the "2020 Patients' Choice Award" by her patients. She has been honored with the Patients' Choice award for the past several years, with 2020 marking the seventh year in a row that she has received this prestigious award.

Her husband, Tim, is an electrical engineer, and they have two daughters, Isabella and Liliana.  When she’s not working, Dr. Hineman enjoys golfing, swimming, Italian cooking, and vacationing at the beach.

Dr. Bansal completed high school in New Delhi, India. She then completed medical school at SSR Medical college in Mauritius in 2006. After relocating to the United States, she completed her residency, and chief residency, at the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois. Soon after, she completed one year of pediatric endocrine fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. As a mother of two children, Dr. Bansal uniquely understands the importance of having a thorough and compassionate pediatrician at the ready. Most recently, Dr. Bansal was awarded as a Top Pediatrician in Glendale, AZ for 2021 by Women in Medicine. Dr. Bansal enjoys ballroom dancing with her husband as a hobby.

Ashley Hineman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Valley of the Sun Pediatrics in Peoria, Arizona. Dr. Hineman has been practicing pediatric medicine and serving patients in the northwest valley since 2005. Her areas of special interest include newborn care, nutrition, allergies, and asthma. She is also an advocate for adolescent health and obesity prevention.

Dr. Hineman was born in Alabama. She attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and graduated with honors in 1997. While there, she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. In 2002, she graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2005 and is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Hineman is also a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Dr. Hineman is honored to be awarded the "2020 Most Compassionate Doctor Award" and the "2020 Patients' Choice Award" by her patients. She has been honored with the Patients' Choice award for the past several years, with 2020 marking the seventh year in a row that she has received this prestigious award.

Her husband, Tim, is an electrical engineer, and they have two daughters, Isabella and Liliana.  When she’s not working, Dr. Hineman enjoys golfing, swimming, Italian cooking, and vacationing at the beach.

Karen Prentice, DO, FAAP, has been working as a general pediatrician in private practice since 1997. Dr. Prentice was one of the original doctors who started Great Destinations Pediatrics in Peoria, Arizona, in 1999. Dr. Prentice finds joy listening to kids and teens and getting to know them as well as their families. She loves being a pediatrician and feels blessed to be a part of so many family’s lives. 

Dr. Prentice attended Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry. She attended the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California, graduating as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 1996. She completed her pediatric internship and residency program at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997. She is a board-certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Prentice is a wife and mother. She enjoys spending time with her family, running marathons, biking, experimenting with her organic vegetable garden, and writing. Her first book, called “An Apple a Day the Doctor’s Way: Dr. Karen’s Nutritional Guide and Cookbook,” was published in 2015. She says her passion is helping families achieve wellness through healthy eating, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices.

Kristin Shepherd, MD, FAAP, joined the team at Great Destinations Pediatrics in Peoria, Arizona, in 2002 and now runs the office along with Dr. Prentice. 

Dr. Shepherd graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and minors in chemistry and Spanish in 1995. She moved on to Northwestern University Medical School in Evanston, Illinois, where she graduated in 1999 with her medical degree. Dr. Shepherd completed her internship and residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2002. She is a board-certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Shepherd met and married her husband after moving to Arizona in 1999. Through the marriage, she acquired four stepsons, and as she likes to joke, it was “five for the price of one.” They went on to have three children – two boys and a girl. Dr. Shepherd loves children so much that she adopted another son and even hosted a foreign exchange student for a year bringing the grand total of kids in her home up to 9!

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and traveling to scenic places. Running is another activity she enjoys, as she ran in the Chicago Marathon when she was in medical school and enjoys running half marathons with Dr. Prentice. She loves being a part of the community that she practices in and giving back to the community. One of her favorite things to do is enjoying events and walkathons with her children and the Great Destination Pediatric “family” of employees. The staff enjoys supporting various walks and runs such as the Make-A-Wish Walk, Congenital Heart Disease Walk, the Billie’s Place Hike. Dr. Shepherd is often seen at various football and basketball games, and chances are with as many kids as she has, your kids might be on her kids’ team!

Dr. Shepherd says she is blessed with a crazy family life and a job she loves. Some have even heard her say that she gets a break when she comes to work, but don’t tell her husband that!

Dr. Robyn Alfeche is a board certified pediatrician who calls herself “a transplant from Texas” after she fell in love with the Phoenix area during her residency. She graduated from University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Hispanic Studies and a minor in Biology. She then received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She finished her General Pediatrics Residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital followed by a year as Chief Resident.

She enjoys the great outdoors with her husband, children Eli and Lizzie, and “fur baby” Leo the dog. When not on walks, hikes, or playing fetch she spends her time reading to and playing with her kids, exercising and gardening. With a chef for a husband, cooking and baking is also a priority at their house. She loves being a pediatrician and providing great pediatric care to Arizona’s smallest citizens.

Dr. Lin s a board-certified physician in both pediatrics and pediatric critical care. He has been in practice for over 15 years. He is proud to provide care to patients at Caring Pediatrics. He has completed his residency at Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, followed by a fellowship in pediatric critical care from Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, California.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Previously he was working at Banner Cardons Children’s Medical Center as a Pediatric Intensivist.

He is the father of three loving children, a daughter and twins. His principle is “Treat patients as if treating your own family”. His background in critical care medicine, gives him the advantage of caring for the acutely ill child, and childhood trauma and injuries. He is also interested in global health with emphasis on preventative medicine. In his spare time, he loves to travel with his family.