MEET THE TEAM
At The Refined Ritual, we believe in the power of Rituals to elevate your Self Care Routine and enhance your confidence. With a combined knowledge and expertise in Medical Aesthetics of over 15 years, our approach lies in an intention of forming genuine relationships with each of our patients by focusing on skin rejuvenation and prevention and with a focus in facial balance and harmony. We look to ensure optimal and natural looking results and are dedicated in offering the most up-to-date procedures in a safe and serene space and that is carefully curated to meet your unique self care goals, One Refined Ritual at a time.
Meet our Founder,
Kristine Escay, RN BSN
With 15 years of nursing experience, Kristine earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland with the Intercollegiate Program at St. Mary’s College of California. Kristine’s extensive background includes experience as a Step-Down Cardiac Nurse, as well as caring for Preoperative and Postoperative patients in the OR.
Kristine discovered her true passion in medical aesthetics half way into her Nursing career, where her love for creating art beautifully intersects with science. She has trained under some of the industry’s top experts and continually hones her skills to stay at the forefront of aesthetic medicine. Kristine’s approach is deeply patient-centered, focusing on facial harmony and balance and understanding each individual’s concerns by crafting personalized treatment plans in a safe and supportive environment.
Kristine combines her extensive experience, artistic eye, and heartfelt dedication to create a sanctuary where beauty, safety, and personalized care are paramount. Her commitment to individualized enhancements with natural looking results is her driving passion and patient education is at the forefront to ensure each of her patients are well-informed and empowered to achieve their self-care goals and rediscover their self-confidence.
Rebecka Cooperman, MS, NP
Meet our Co-founder,
Rebecka Cooperman is an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner with 25 years of nursing experience, 13 of those as a nurse practitioner and the last 9 years specializing in aesthetics. Rebecka earned her bachelors degree form Wichita State University and her Masters at San Diego State University. After receiving her masters, she earned her board certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. Rebecka is also a member of the California Board of Nurse Practitioners.
Rebecka prides herself on full facial assessments and rejuvenation emphasizing on what her clients’ specific needs are. She has had clients follow her over the last 9 yrs of aesthetic practice. She also believes patient education and patient advocacy is very important.
Rebecka has lived in San Diego since 2000 when she moved here as a travel nurse. She met her husband at a Chargers game in 2005 and now they are married with 2 energetic boys. She loves being outside in the sun, hiking, or spending time at her boys’ sports games. She also loves to chill at home and watch a good action movie or the newest Netflix series.
Meet our Medical Director,
Daniel Gramins, MD
Daniel L. Gramins MD is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon with extensive civilian and military experience in wound care and limb salvage. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC, for both his undergraduate and medical degrees, finishing in 1993. Dr. Gramins completed his Internship in Surgery at the Naval Medical Center San Diego in 1994, followed by a three year interlude as a Naval Flight Surgeon providing aviation medicine and primary care services around the world. He completed the Residency in General Surgery at the National Naval Medical Center Bethesda in 2001, followed by a Fellowship in Vascular Surgery and a Fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, finishing in 2005. Dr. Gramins maintains board certification in vascular surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and a Member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Dr. Gramins returned to San Diego in 2005 as a cardiothoracic surgeon and vascular surgeon at the Naval Medical Center. He was one of the founding members of the Navy’s multi-disciplinary Limb Salvage Clinic, created to provide coordinated care for severely injured service members and later expanded to serve military retirees with advanced medical conditions resulting in complicated extremity wounds, including lymphedema and venous stasis ulcers. Dr. Gramins retired from the Navy in 2014 and joined the faculty at UC San Diego and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, practicing in a similar capacity for the next five years. In 2019, Dr. Gramins joined the Billings Clinic in Montana, where he is currently the Chief of Surgery and Interim Chairman of Vascular Surgery, and directs the busiest wound clinic in the state.
Dr. Gramins has over 2 decades of experience caring for and healing patients when their skin was at its worst. He is excited to collaborate with our spa team to help keep our patients’ skin looking its best.
Medspa in La Jolla, CA, 92037