About me
About the Provider
Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD, is the Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program and attending physician in the Advanced Heart Failure Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She also directs the outpatient LVAD (left ventricular assist device) clinic. As a heart failure and transplant cardiologist, she primarily sees individuals with advanced heart failure, including patients requiring heart transplants and mechanical circulatory support. She also specializes in managing cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and treats patients with infiltrative cardiomyopathies such as sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.
Dr. Rodrigo’s approach to treating patients with heart failure begins with a thorough evaluation to determine the type of treatment they will require. She initially offers treatment with medication, and often further advanced treatments, such as implantation of a LVAD or heart transplantation. Dr. Rodrigo specializes in determining the eligibility of patients for these advanced heart failure therapies. When LVAD implantation is necessary, Dr. Rodrigo is part of a multidisciplinary team that offers patients the latest technology available in the field. Dr. Rodrigo follows these patients in the pre-, peri- and post-surgical period.
With a strong interest in advancing the field of heart transplantation, Dr. Rodrigo is the site principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation (GRAFT) study, a project across five area transplant hospitals that is exploring the use of cell-free DNA in heart transplantation. She is also the site principal investigator for SHORE (Surveillance HeartCare Outcomes Registry) assessing the utility of AlloMap (gene-expression profile) and AlloSure (donor-derived cell-free DNA) to more comprehensively monitor heart transplant recipients for allograft rejection.
After receiving her medical degree from Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003, Dr. Rodrigo completed an NIH research fellowship in cardiovascular disease, during which she focused her work on endothelial progenitor cells. She then joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital, where she completed her internal medicine residency in 2009, followed by a year as Chief Resident. Dr. Rodrigo then went on to complete a first fellowship in cardiology in 2013 and a second fellowship in advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology in 2014, both at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center. She is board certified internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s important for me to have open communication with each of my patients to understand that person’s wishes, expectations and environment. This helps me to provide compassionate, individualized care that is most appropriate for the patient and their family.
“Patients who come to our program will be receiving the very best care that is available today. We generate a relationship that is long-term with each individual -- the patient becomes our patient for life, and it’s a journey that we go through together.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
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
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Heart Transplant
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
Procedures I perform
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring
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.
-
List of insurance plans we accept
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Employee Health Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- United Student Resources
- Navigate
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst Administrators
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Police and Fire Clinic
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- IH-POS Plus
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-HMO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Blue Choice Advantage
- TRICARE for Life East
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- OA Plus
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Core Essential (HMO)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Network OA
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- IH-Open POS II
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CareFirst EPO
- POS OA
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Choice POS II Open Access
- IH-PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- First Health PPO
- IH-Network Only Plus
- IH-POS
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna HMO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-Open HMO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Choice POS
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Indemnity
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- TRICARE East Prime
- IH-EPO Plus
- UHC Passport
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- HighMark
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna VA Exchange
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Medicare FFS
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Beech Street PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2014)
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2013)
Residency: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2010)
Medical School: Universidad Favaloro (2003)