About me
Regional Chief of Cardiology – Baltimore Region
Samer Najjar, MD, is the Regional Chief of Cardiology for the Baltimore region, overseeing cardiology services at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, and MedStar Harbor Hospital. He also provides leadership for MedStar Health’s ambulatory cardiology practices.
Clinical Expertise
Dr. Najjar is a cardiologist with subspecialty expertise in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support. He specializes in state-of-the-art therapies for heart failure and cares for patients with advanced heart failure, those supported by left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and heart transplant recipients.
Leadership & Academic Appointments
Dr. Najjar is a Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and co-chairs MedStar’s Cardiology Clinical Practice Council. He previously served as Director of the advanced heart failure program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he led its growth into one of the leading programs in the nation.
Prior to joining MedStar Health, Dr. Najjar was on faculty at Johns Hopkins University. He was also a member of the NIH intramural clinical research program, where he served as Head of the Human Cardiovascular Studies Unit at the National Institute on Aging.
During his fellowship, Dr. Najjar received the prestigious American College of Cardiology/Merck Research Award.
Research & Publications
Dr. Najjar is passionate about advancing cardiovascular care through research and innovation. He has received numerous honors and awards and has authored more than 175 manuscripts in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Patient-Centered Care
Dr. Najjar and his team provide a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to care, partnering closely with patients and caregivers. This includes collaboration with heart failure nurses, coordinators, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and symptom management specialists.
Personal
Outside of medicine, Dr. Najjar enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and three children.
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Amyloidosis
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Disease
- Cardiac Fibrosis
- Cardiac Graft Failure
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Complications Of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADS)
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Inotropic Therapy Management
- Liver Transplant Evaluation
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocardial Infarction (HEART ATTACK)
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Rheumatic Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Ventricular Tachycardia
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
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Core Essential (HMO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- IH-PPO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Network OA
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst EPO
- IH-Open HMO
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- HighMark
- HealthyBlue PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-POS
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- OA Plus
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- First Health PPO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CIGNA PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- Navigate
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- POS OA
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- IH-Open HMO Option
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- IH-EPO Plus
- IH-Open POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- IH-POS Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Medicare FFS
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Employee Health Plan
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- TRICARE for Life East
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- IH-Indemnity
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- TRICARE East Select
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- Choice Fund PPO
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Classic 3500
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- United Healthcare Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA EPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Choice POS
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
Videos
Education
Board Certification:
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2000)
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1996)
Graduate: Yale University (1993)
Graduate: Yale University School of Medicine (1993)
Awards
- Baltimore Magazine, Top Doc, 2024, 2025