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
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Choice Fund PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- IH-POS
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- POS OA
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Navigate
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Aetna HMO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- HighMark
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Medicare FFS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Choice POS II
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- TRICARE East Prime
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- TRICARE East Select
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- IH-POS Plus
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- UHC Passport
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Choice POS
- United Student Resources
- IH-EPO Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-Open HMO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CareFirst EPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Classic 3500
- IH-Indemnity
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Medicare Direct
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Optimum Choice
- Employee Health Plan
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-PPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- OA Plus
- IH-HMO
- IH-Open POS II
- Sentara Health
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
Videos
Education
Board Certification:
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)