Richard David Zorowitz, MD| Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation | MedStar Health
About me
Richard D. Zorowitz, MD, is a graduate of the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, IL. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and Brain Injury Medicine.
Dr. Zorowitz focuses his clinical activities on the rehabilitation of stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions. He specializes in the management of spasticity, including oral medications, botulinum toxin injections, and intrathecal baclofen. His research activities focus on stroke rehabilitation, including motor recovery, hemiplegic shoulder pain, dysphagia, spasticity, pseudobulbar affect, and functional outcomes.
Clinical areas of focus
- Botox Injection
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation
- Cerebral Palsy
- Demyelinating Optic Neuropathy Treatment
- Dystonia Treatment
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment
- Muscle Spasm
- Muscle Weakness
- Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
- Sensory Neuropathy
- Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury Therapy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation
- Bursopathy
- Cardiovascular Disorders Of Newborn
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Disorders Of Autonomic Nervous System
- Disorders Of Trigeminal Nerve
- Emotional Disorders
- Encephalitis, Myelitis And Encephalomyelitis
- Enthesopathy Of Lower Limb
- Foot Joint Pain
- Fractures Of The Neck
- Functional Intestinal Disorders
- Gait And Balance Problems
- Hand Joint Pain
- Head Injury
- Headache
- Hereditary Ataxia
- Joint Derangement
- Limb Deformity
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Mononeuropathy Of Upper Limb
- Monosomies And Deletions From Autosomes
- Multiple Injuries
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscle Disorders
- Muscle Spasm
- Muscle Weakness
- Musculoskeletal System Complications
- Myopathies
- Neck Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury
- Neuropathic Pain
- Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Paraplegia And Quadriplegia
- Personal History Of Diseases And Conditions
- Presence Of Devices
- Problems Related To Care Provider Dependency
- Sensory Neuropathy
- Shoulder Burns
- Shoulder Joint Pain
- Spasticity
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Subcortical Infarction
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Procedures I perform
- Activities Of Daily Living Training
- Balance And Coordination Training
- Botox Injection
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation
- Chronic Headache Treatment
- Chronic Pain Rehabilitation
- Cold Pack
- Communication And Swallowing And Wound And Edema Management
- Concussion Rehabilitation
- Demyelinating Optic Neuropathy Treatment
- Dystonia Treatment
- Edema Management
- Electrical Nerve Stimulation
- Electromyography
- Epilepsy Education
- Falls Prevention
- Fitness And Exercise Programs
- Fitness For Duty Neuropsychological Evaluation
- Float Therapy
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Palliative Care
- Gastrointestinal Therapy
- Geriatric Care Management
- Inpatient Palliative Care
- Iontophoresis For Medication Delivery
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treatment
- Kinesiology
- Kinesiology Analysis
- Ligament Strengthening
- Limb Loss Rehabilitation
- Lymphedema Management
- Median Nerve Conduction Studies
- Meniscus Injury Rehabilitation
- Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS) Treatment
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment
- Muscle Injection
- Muscular Dystrophy Rehabilitation
- Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
- Myofascial Pain And Fibromyalgia Rehabilitation
- Nerve Stimulation Therapy
- Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
- Neuromuscular Testing
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Orthopedic Physical Therapy
- Orthoptic Evaluation
- Orthotic Device Fitting
- Orthotics And Prosthetics For Amputations
- Orthotics Fitting
- Pain Medication Management
- Palliative Care
- Paraffin Wax Bath
- Parkinson's Disease And Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation
- Patching Therapy
- Phonophoresis
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Prosthetic Training
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Range Of Motion Exercises
- Range Of Motion Improvement
- Rehabilitation Guideline
- Rehabilitation Planning
- Rehabilitation Psychology Clinic
- Rehabilitative Technology
- Seating And Mobility Assessment
- Self-Care Training
- Speech And Language Pathology
- Speech Therapy
- Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
- Spine Orthotics
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Therapeutic Exercises
- Traumatic Brain Injury Therapy
- Trigger Point Injection
- Violence Prevention Counseling
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
3800 Reservoir Rd NW Pasquerilla Healthcare Center 4th Fl Washington, DC, 20007
202-877-1621Fax 202-877-1998
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
- IH-HMO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- IH-PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CIGNA EPO
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- United Student Resources
- Medicare Direct
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Basic
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Beech Street PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- IH-POS Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open POS II
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- OA Plus
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna HMO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Sentara Health
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Choice POS II
- IH-POS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Optimum Choice
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst EPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- POS OA
- Network OA
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Choice POS
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- HighMark
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Navigate
- Medicare FFS
- First Health PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UHC Passport
- IH-EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- TRICARE East Prime
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- TRICARE East Select
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Residency: Northwestern Memorial Hospital (1989)
Internship: Long Island Jewish Medical Center (1986)
Graduate: Tulane University (1985)
Awards
- Visionary in Practice Society, National Stroke Association (2001)Central Nervous System Council Outstanding Service Award, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2011)
- Golden Goniometer Award, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2012)
- America’s Top Physicians, Consumer’s Research Council of America (2015) Outstanding Contributions in the Training and Education of the Resident Staff, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network/Georgetown (2016)
- John W. Goldschmidt Award, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (2022)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Holloway RG, Arnold RM, Creutzfeldt CJ, Lewis EF, Lutz BJ, McCann RM, Rabinstein AA, Saposnik G, Sheth KN, Zahuranec DB, Zipfel GJ, Zorowitz RD; on behalf of the American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, and Council on Clinical Cardiology. Palliative and end-of-life care in stroke: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke 2014; 45: 1887-1916. DOI: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000015
- Veerakumara A, Cheng JJ, Sunshineb A, Yeb X, Zorowitz RD, Anderson WS. Baclofen dosage after traumatic spinal cord injury: A multi-decade retrospective analysis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2015: 129; 50–56.
- Ganapathy V, Graham GD, DiBonaventura MD, Gillard PJ, Goren, A, Zorowitz R. Caregiver burden, productivity loss, and indirect costs associated with caring for patients with post-stroke spasticity. Clin Interven Aging 2015; 10: 1793–1802. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S91123. PMCID: PMC4644168.
- Coslick A, Zorowitz RD, Wright SM. Clinical Excellence in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Examples from the Published Literature. J Rehabil Med 2016; 48(3): 253-258. DOI:10.2340/16501977-2058.
- Winstein CJ, Stein J, Arena R, Bates B, Cherney LR, Cramer SC, Deruyter F, Eng JJ, Fisher B, Harvey RL, Lang CE, MacKay-Lyons M, Ottenbacher KJ, Pugh S, Reeves MJ, Richards LG, Stiers W, Zorowitz RD; on behalf of the American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research. Guidelines for adult stroke rehabilitation and recovery: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published online ahead of print May 4, 2016]. Stroke 2016; 47(6): e98-169.
- Hammond FM, Alexander DN, Cutler AJ, D'Amico S, Doody RS, Sauve W, Zorowitz RD, Davis CS, Shin P, Ledon F, Yonan C, Formella AE, Siffert J. PRISM II: An open-label study to assess effectiveness of dextromethorphan/ quinidine for pseudobulbar affect in patients with dementia, stroke or traumatic brain injury. BMC Neurology 2016; 16: 89.
- Zorowitz RD. Topics in practice management. ICU-acquired weakness: A rehabilitation perspective of diagnosis, treatment, and functional management. Chest 2016; 150(4): 966–971.
- Zorowitz RD, Wein TH, Dunning K, Deltombe T, Olver JH, Dave SJ, Dimyan MA, Kelemen J, Pagan FL, Evans CJ, Gillard P, Kissela BM. A screening tool to identify spasticity in need of treatment. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2017; 96(5): 315-320.
- Zorowitz RD, Alexander DN, Formella AE, Ledon F, Davis C, Siffert J. Dextromethorphan/quinidine for pseudobulbar affect following stroke: Safety and effectiveness in the PRISM II trial. PM&R 2019; 11(1): 17-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2018.06.003
- Berrigan WA, Whitehair C, Zorowitz R. Acute Spinal Epidural Hematoma as a Complication of Dry Needling: A Case Report. PM&R 2019; 11(3): 313-316. Published online July 20, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2018.07.009.
- Adeoye O, Nyström KV, Yavagal DR, Luciano J, Nogueira RG, Zorowitz RD, Khalessi AA, Bushnell C, Barsan WG, Panagos P, Alberts MJ, Tiner AC, Schwamm LH, Jauch EC. Recommendations for the Establishment of Stroke Systems of Care: A 2019 Update A Policy Statement From the American Stroke Association. Stroke 2019; 50: 00-00. DOI: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000173.
- Duncan PW, Bushnell C, Sissine M, Coleman S, Lutz BJ, Johnson AM, Radman M, Pvru Bettger J, Zorowitz RD, Stein J. Comprehensive Stroke Care and Outcomes: Time for a Paradigm Shift. Stroke 2021; 52(1): 385-393. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.029678. Epub 2020 Dec 22. PMID: 33349012.