About me
Christine Trankiem Wall, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon and critical care surgeon. She is the Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Regional Chief of the same for MedStar Health. Dr. Trankiem serves as state Vice Chair for the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and participates in the education of medical students, physicians in training, and peers. She is Chair of the Code Critical Airway Committee, serves on the Risk Management Committee, and is a member of the Medical Board and Medical Executive Committee of the hospital.
Dr. Trankiem specializes in trauma, general surgery including gastrointestinal and bowel surgery, and surgical critical care. Her clinical interests include trauma surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, necrotizing acute soft tissue infections (or flesh eating bacteria), community violence prevention and outreach, and organ donation. As chief of the Gold Acute Care Surgery Team at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Trankiem has an added level of expertise in taking care of patients with seemingly straightforward general surgery issues that may develop into critical care needs. Patients who come to MedStar for care will also be treated by other physicians in the Gold Acute Care Surgery Team, in addition to being treated by Dr. Trankiem.
Dr. Trankiem earned her undergraduate degree from the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, pursued post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and obtained her medical degree from MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine. She completed her general surgery residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and completed her fellowship training with the Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at Los Angeles County Hospital at the University of Southern California.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Trankiem came to Washington, DC for the opportunity to provide advanced trauma and surgical care to area residents. Dr. Trankiem is an advocate for team care. Data shows that a team always outperforms an individual. For this reason, she is passionate about surgical education and critical events team training. When not searching for innovative approaches to care for trauma patients, Dr. Trankiem enjoys spending time with her husband and son hiking, white water rafting, and adventure travelling.
Philosophy of Care
“Mental wellness, spiritual well-being, nutrition, social work and physical therapy are all essential in order to bring the patient as a whole to their best state of health. Through this philosophy, I bring care to my patients in a compassionate and thoughtful way. Communication is the cornerstone of my practice. It is important to me to not only educate and update the patient in order to address their disease but to also communicate with their families.”
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Cholecystectomy
- Duodenal Ulcer Surgery
- Exploratory Laparotomy
- Hernia Repair
- Splenectomy
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 Medicare Advantage Signature and Select (aka Senior Advantage)
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CFBCBS EPO
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- Open POS II
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Open EPO Plus
- Opoen HMO Option
- Open HMO
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- PPO and PPO Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Network OA
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- FIRST HEALTH
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- First Health PPO
- Tricare Prime
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- United Student Resources
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, Surgery
Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Fellowship Program: University of Southern California (2007)
Residency Program: Temple University Hospital (2006)
Medical School: Hahnemann University (2001)