About me
Ajay Kadakkal, MD, is a board-certified advanced heart failure specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute. He treats patients with advanced diastolic heart failure and congestive heart failure. He also treats patients who are in need of a heart transplant and require mechanical service support from devices like the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In addition, Dr. Kadakkal takes a special interest in infiltrative and inflammatory heart conditions like cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, which are often underdiagnosed. He is dedicated to building MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute as a referral base and top local center for referrals for patients with these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal is part of a strong clinical practice at Medstar that provides a variety of diagnostic tests, ranging from imaging to cardiac stress testing. As part of this practice, he contributes to a team that is at the forefront of LVAD device placement and management at one of the top LVAD implant centers in the country. Dr. Kadakkal is passionate about continuing to develop and improve the durability and size of LVADs. His goal is to contribute to clinical trials that will improve the design of LVADs to be fully implantable, smaller, and less intrusive to the patient’s quality of life.
He is part of a group research effort at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute that involves a variety of clinical trials currently researching and providing new technology to patients who require mechanical circulatory support. His team is also currently building a database that observes patients with sarcoidosis and amyloidosis, looking at the difference in hemodynamic parameters among specific treatments for these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He then joined University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for residency and fellowship training before completing a specialty fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.
Philosophy of Care
“Today, cardiovascular care is heavily influenced by technology. For this reason, it’s important that I am able to offer my patients the most advanced technology available while adhering to evidence-based practices.
“I take the time to help each patient understand the process of his/her disease and clearly understand what treatment options are available to either improve his/her health or stay within the lines of what his/her goals of care are. I believe that a holistic approach to patient care provides the best results. The ability to provide compassionate care lies in the time I take to listen to my patients in order to provide them with the best quality of life and survival available to them by implementing what I feel is the newest and most advanced technology.
“I am available to share information with providers and coordinate care with them for any referral patients.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
- Ventricular Assist Device Infection
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- IH-Indemnity
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- UHC Passport
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- IH-POS Plus
- IH-EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- IH-POS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Sentara Health
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS II
- Choice POS
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- First Health PPO
- Navigate
- Aetna HMO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Medicare FFS
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Beech Street PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst NASCO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- First Health PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- IH-HMO
- Network OA
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- HighMark
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- IH-PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- TRICARE East Select
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- OA Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- POS OA
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Choice POS II
- United Student Resources
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CIGNA EPO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- TRICARE for Life East
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Tricare Reserve Select
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Choice Fund PPO
- Optimum Choice
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (2017)
Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2016)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2012)
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2009)