About me
Kristen Whitaker, MD, MS is a board-certified medical oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Prior to joining MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Whitaker served as an assistant professor at the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fox Chase, in Philadelphia, PA for four years, where she treated patients with breast cancer and patients at high risk for developing breast and other types of cancers.
Dr. Whitaker specializes in treating patients with breast cancer. She is a member of the multidisciplinary team that makes up the Breast Health Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Whitaker’s approach to patient care is centered around collaboration with other providers and patients and providing evidence-based recommendations for patient care. She strives to take the unique needs of each of her patients into consideration and incorporates newer tools, such as genetic testing and tumor molecular profiling, to tailor treatments for her patients. Her goal is to ensure that her patients have the best possible outcomes from their cancer while taking care to minimize the number of therapies, side effects of therapy and personal hardships that patients experience because of their cancer treatment.
When Dr. Whitaker meets with patients, she is optimistic and positive because she knows that there are many effective therapy options available that can treat and, in many cases, cure her patients. While chemotherapy and hormonal therapy were once the cornerstone of breast cancer treatment, today Dr. Whitaker is excited to offer her patients newer therapies, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapy, which improve cancer outcomes with less side effects. She is particularly excited that MedStar Washington Hospital Center has many clinical trial options, allowing patients from diverse backgrounds earlier access to what may become the breast cancer treatments of the future.
Dr. Whitaker is passionate about working towards eliminating racial health disparities, especially among patients with cancer. To that end, she has been published and has received multiple awards, including the 2022 NIH Loan Repayment Health Disparities Award and a 2022 AACR Career Development Award to Further Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Clinical Cancer Research.
Dr. Whitaker received her medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. She then completed a three-year residency in internal medicine at George Washington University, prior to completing a three-year fellowship in hematology/oncology at the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Chicago. She simultaneously completed a Master of Science at the University of Chicago while completing her fellowship. She is a member of American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research.
Philosophy of care
“As a native Washingtonian, I am honored to be back in my hometown serving my community. As a physician, my goal is to empower each of my patients to make the best decisions about their healthcare by educating them about the most up-to-date and proven treatment for their cancer. It is also important to me to take the time to answer questions and address concerns my patients may have at any time during their cancer journey. My patients quickly learn that there is no question that is too big or too small for us to talk about. I value collaboration from my patients and other providers and make myself readily available to both to address any questions or concerns, as I realize this is essential to providing the best possible care for my patients. I enjoy getting to know my patients as individuals and building a relationship where my patients trust me and have confidence that I always have their best interests.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Actinic Keratosis (AK)
- Adrenal Neoplasm
- Bladder Cancer
- Genitourinary Cancers
- Kidney Cancer
- Penile Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Renal Metastases
- Seminoma
- Testicular Cancer
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Cancer
- Actinic Keratosis (AK)
- Adrenal Neoplasm
- Adverse Effects To Anticoagulants
- Amyloidosis
- Anemia
- Anemia And Bone Marrow Disorders
- Anemia Of Chronic Disease
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome
- Antithrombin Deficiency
- Aplastic Anemia
- Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
- Bladder Cancer
- Bleeding Disorder
- Blood Cancer
- Blood Clotting Disorder
- Bone Marrow Disorders
- Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
- Braf V600e V600k Mutations
- Brain Metastases
- Cancer
- Cancer During Pregnancy
- Cancer Pain
- Cancer Related Fatigue
- Cancer Survivor
- Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS)
- Coagulation Disorders
- Cold Agglutinin Disease
- Cooley Anemia
- Cryoglobulinemia
- Deep Thrombophlebitis
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Diamond Blackfan Anemia
- Endocrine Complications Of Cancer Therapy
- Essential Thrombocytosis
- Factor Eight Disorder
- Factor Nine Deficiency
- Factor V Leiden
- Familial Aplastic Anemia
- Fanconi Anemia
- Genitourinary Cancers
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency
- Head And Neck Tumors
- Hemochromatosis
- Hemoglobinopathies
- Hemolytic Anemia
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
- Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia
- Hereditary Cancer Risk
- Hereditary Spherocytosis
- Hypercoagulable State
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
- Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Iron Metabolism Disorders
- Kidney Cancer
- Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
- Leukocytosis
- Leukopenia
- Liver Cancer
- Liver Metastases
- Lung Mass
- Lymphopenia
- Malignancies Of The Genitourinary System
- Maternal Hematologic Disorders
- Metastatic Melanoma
- Monoclonal Gammopathy Of Undetermined Significance
- Mucosal Melanoma
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome
- Neutropenia
- Oral Complications Of Cancer
- Pancytopenia
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
- Penile Cancer
- Petechiae
- Platelet Disorder
- Poems Syndrome
- Polycythemia
- Porphyria
- Post Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS)
- Primary Myelofibrosis
- Primary Systemic Amyloidosis
- Prostate Cancer
- Protein C Deficiency
- Protein S Deficiency
- Prothrombin Gene Mutation
- Pulmonary Metastases
- Pure Red Cell Aplasia
- Purpura
- Recurrent Thrombosis
- Red Blood Cell Disorders
- Renal Metastases
- Secondary Polycythemia
- Seminoma
- Side Effects Of Cancer Treatment
- Splenic Sequestration
- Splenomegaly
- Stomach Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Thalassemia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Thrombocytosis
- Thrombophilia
- Thrombotic Disorders
- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma
- Venous Occlusive Crisis
- Von Willebrand Disease
- White Blood Cell Disorders
Procedures I perform
- Adjuvant Chemotherapy
- Anticoagulation
- Biological Targeted Therapy
- Blood Transfusion Therapy
- Bone Marrow Biopsy
- Cancer Chemotherapy
- Cancer Genomics
- Chemoradiation
- Clinical Trials
- Early Detection Of Cancer
- Lupus Anticoagulant
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
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Tricare for Life East
- Virginia Premier
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- I-SNP
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- United Choice Plus
- Kaiser Signature
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Select
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- United Choice
- Carefirst EPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Cigna EPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Tricare Reserve Select
- WellPoint Maryland
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Medicaid - Maryland
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Navigate
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Administrators
- D-SNP)
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Optimum Choice
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Tricare East Select
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- United Golden Rule
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Innovation Health: POS
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Tricare East Prime
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Cigna Indemnity
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- CareFirst NASCO
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Innovation Health: PPO
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Student Resources
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- United Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Cigna Network Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Fellowship Program: University of Chicago Medical Center (2018)
Residency Program: George Washington University Hospital (2015)
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine (2012)