About me
Rania Kaoukis, MD, is an attending advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant cardiologist affiliated with MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Dr. Kaoukis is board certified in heart failure and transplant cardiology, cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine. She specializes in the treatment and management of patients with congestive heart failure, end-stage heart failure, and ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.
Dr. Kaoukis provides guideline-directed medical therapy as the cornerstone of treatment for heart failure. She also provides mechanical circulatory support and manages patients before, during, and after heart transplantation.
Her research interests have focused on the use of echocardiography to monitor changes in cardiac anatomy and function in patients on guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure.
Dr. Kaoukis is passionate about using her experience to provide advanced heart failure treatments to rural communities; those who historically have had less access to the care that is provided at large academic medical centers located in metropolis areas.
Dr. Kaoukis received her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
She completed an internal medicine residency at Loyola University Medical Center and a three-year cardiovascular fellowship at Temple University Hospital. She then completed advanced fellowship training in heart failure and transplantation at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians.
When not dedicating her time to providing heart failure treatment to her community, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her dog. She loves to travel and enjoys cooking and preparing Greek pastries.
Philosophy of care
“I’m dedicated to a philosophy of continuous learning. My promise to my patients is that I will continue to be as up-to-date as possible when it comes to the field of heart failure medicine so that I can offer my patients the most vanguard treatments and appropriate care for their diagnosis and health history.
“I approach each patient with the intention of treating them as a whole. I believe it’s essential to understand both the medical needs as well as the psychosocial needs of each of my patients in order to recommend and deliver the most appropriate care. I take the time to ask the right questions, and actively listen to my patients’ concerns and treatment goals.
“As a heart failure specialist who has been trained within the MedStar Health system, I look forward to collaborating with providers, surgeons, and team members to provide thorough, high-quality, and multidisciplinary care.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Arrest
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- 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 Arrest
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Rejection
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
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
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- TRICARE for Life East
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- IH-Open HMO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Sentara Health
- United Student Resources
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Medicare Direct
- IH-POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- IH-EPO Plus
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Choice POS
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UHC Passport
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Choice POS II
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- First Health PPO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- IH-PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CIGNA EPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- IH-Indemnity
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst EPO
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS II
- Beech Street PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- OA Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Navigate
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna HMO
- POS OA
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- IH-POS Plus
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CIGNA PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Medicare FFS
- IH-HMO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- TRICARE East Prime
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Network OA
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- HighMark
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Aetna Basic
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: Medstar Washington Hospital Center (2021)
Fellowship: Temple University Hospital (2020)
Residency: Loyola University Medical Center (2017)
Medical School: Indiana Univ/Purdue University-Indianapolis (2014)