About me
Rizwan Ahmad Tahir, MD, joins MedStar Health as a neurosurgeon for the department of Neurosurgery. He is a specialist in cerebrovascular disorders and neurosurgery. Dr. Tahir is a compassionate and caring physician who works collaboratively with his patients to achieve the best outcomes.
As the recipient of several academic honors and awards, Dr. Tahir has published 20 peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. His research interest includes cerebral vascular and endovascular neurosurgery–specifically as it pertains to stroke and vascular malformations and aneurysms.
Dr. Tahir earned his medical degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He completed his fellowship in Cerebrovascular at the University of Illinois in Chicago and his fellowship in Endovascular Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Philosophy of care
Dr. Tahir believes the surgeon and patient relationship should be built on a foundation of trust and transparency to achieve the best outcomes.
“I work closely with my patients and take a very personalized approach. I encourage my patients to ask as many questions as they need to understand their options and make decisions that are right for them—it is critical that they are actively involved in the decision-making process. Together, we collaborate on creating a treatment plan, making sure to incorporate the patient’s wishes and goals.”
When not practicing medicine, Dr. Tahir enjoys spending time with his wife, a headache neurologist at MedStar Health, and their two children. He enjoys playing basketball and football, exercising, good food, and travel. He is also committed to volunteering for global health and disaster relief efforts.
Dr. Tahir sees patients at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.
Clinical areas of focus
- Brain Tumor
- Hydrocephalus
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Aneurysm
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Benign Neoplasm Of Brain And Central Nervous System
- Benign Tumor
- Blindness And Low Vision
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Disorders
- Brain Tumor
- Carotid Stenosis
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Congenital Malformations Of Peripheral Vascular System
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Deforming Dorsopathies
- Dorsalgia
- Epilepsy
- Head Injury
- Hemangioma
- Hydrocephalus
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Intraspinal Granuloma
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Meninges
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Spinal Cord
- Meningioma
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Omphalocele
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Parkinson's Disease
- Scoliosis
- Secondary Malignant Neoplasm Of Brain
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spine Tumor
- Spondylopathies
- Vascular Malformations Of The Brain
Procedures I perform
- Bifrontal Craniectomy
- Cerebellar Hemorrhage Evacuation
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Revision
- Cervical Nerve Release
- Cervical Spinal Cord Release
- Cervical Vertebral Disc Excision
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Cranial Nerve Neurostimulator Electrode Array And Pulse Generator Implantation
- Craniectomy For Hematoma Evacuation
- Cranioplasty
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Dura Mater Supplement
- Endovascular Intracranial Prolonged Administration Of Pharmacologic Agent
- Excision Of Cerebral Ventricle
- Lumboperitoneal Shunt
- Lumbosacral Disc Excision
- Occlusion Intracranial Artery
- Open Brain Release
- Parkinson's Disease
- Parotid Biopsy
- Removal Of Bone Flap
- Resection Of Thoracic Vertebral Disc
- Sacral Nerve Release
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Brain Tumors
- Stereotactic Spinal Procedure
- Subclavian Artery Extirpation
- Thoracic Aorta To Carotid Artery Bypass With Synthetic Substitute
- Thoracic Laminectomy
- Thoracic Nerve Release
- Upper Artery Synthetic Substitute Removal
- Venous Access Device Removal
- Vestibular Nerve Tumor Surgery
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
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- TRICARE East Select
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Medicare FFS
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- IH-Open HMO Option
- TRICARE for Life East
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Blue Choice Advantage
- IH-POS Plus
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Navigate
- IH-PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Basic
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst EPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst Administrators
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Choice
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Network OA
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- IH-EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Medicare Direct
- United Student Resources
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- HighMark
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Beech Street PPO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Choice POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-POS
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- POS OA
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- OA Plus
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- First Health PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna HMO
- Employee Health Plan
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Sentara Health
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Choice POS
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-Open POS II
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Choice Fund PPO
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CIGNA Indemnity
- IH-Open HMO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Neurological Surgery, Neurological Surgery
Fellowship: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medical (2022)
Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Jefferson Health (2021)
Residency: Henry Ford Hospital (2020)
Medical School: Wayne State University (2013)