About me
About the Provider
Darling Ruiz, MD, is an attending pulmonary and critical care physician at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ailments and illnesses of the lungs, including asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, and unknown causes of shortness of breath and cough. Dr. Ruiz uses a wide range of diagnostic testing in her practice, including bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound, and transbronchial needle aspiration. Her clinical interests include evaluation and management of interstitial lung disease, the use of endobronchial ultrasound for lung cancer screening and staging, and treating patients with COPD, asthma, and sarcoidosis.
Dr. Ruiz received her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua. Dr. Ruiz then served as an attending general practitioner at Matron Roberts Polyclinic II in Belize City, Belize before joining Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD for a three-year internal medicine residency, where she served as Chief Resident and was named Intern of the Year for 2013-2014. Dr. Ruiz completed a specialty fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, where she also served as Chief Fellow. She is a member of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.
Dr. Ruiz is fluent in Spanish.
Philosophy of Care
“My goal is to not only improve the health of my patients but to improve their quality of life. I follow and implement best practices and guidelines, heavily taking into consideration the preferences, priorities, and treatment goals of my patients. Collaborating with my patients is important to me. I take the time to practice clear communication with my patients so that they fully understand their diagnosis and treatment options and are therefore able to make informed decisions regarding their care.”
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
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- POS OA
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CIGNA Indemnity
- UHC Passport
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Optimum Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- IH-EPO Plus
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Basic
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- IH-POS
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- IH-Indemnity
- IH-Open POS Plus
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II
- First Health PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna HMO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-Open HMO Option
- TRICARE for Life East
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Network OA
- Navigate
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- HighMark
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Choice POS
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Core Essential (HMO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst Administrators
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO
- IH-POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Beech Street PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Medicare FFS
- Choice POS II Open Access
- First Health PPO
- IH-Open POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Sentara Health
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-PPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2020)
Residency: Ascension Maryland Saint Agnes Hospital (2017)
Graduate: Universidad de Cadiz (2008)
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Autonoma Nicaragua (2007)