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.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice
- Choice POS II
- Choice Fund PPO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Medicare Direct
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst EPO
- TRICARE for Life East
- OA Plus
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CIGNA PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- IH-Open HMO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Navigate
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Employee Health Plan
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CIGNA EPO
- Network OA
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- IH-Open POS II
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- IH-PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- First Health PPO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- HighMark
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- POS OA
- Medicare FFS
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- IH-POS
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- First Health PPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice PPO
- UHC Passport
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Choice POS
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Basic
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Classic 3500
- United Healthcare Choice
Videos
Education
Board Certification: ,
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2014)
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2013)
Residency: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2010)
Medical School: Universidad Favaloro (2003)