About me
Mahmoud Kheirbek, MD, is Chairman of the Neonatology/Pediatrics Department at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and is affiliated with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Kheirbek specializes in neonatology and is double board-certified in neonatal-perinatal medicine and pediatrics. He holds professional memberships with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the DC Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics. Throughout his career, Dr. Kheirbek has received several awards, including Nurses’ Choice for the 50th Anniversary of MedStar Washington Hospital Center Collaboration Award with Nursing Staff and Resident of the Year at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.
Dr. Kheirbek works with high-risk pregnancies and premature babies to provide state-of-the-art, comprehensive care to mothers and children. At MedStar Health, he and his department treat the largest number of premature and extreme premature babies in the district. He treats babies for a variety of diseases including respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal jaundice, neonatal sepsis, and issues around feeding and nutritional support. In addition, he specializes in stabilizing and caring for babies that are born with congenital heart disease.
In the future, Dr. Kheirbek is excited to continue developing programs that optimize the nutritional support of newborns. He hopes to bring in more mothers exclusively for breastfeeding and/or use donor breast milk. His department is also instituting CMV screening in babies that fail hearing tests. Additionally, they are in the implementation phase of an IVH prevention protocol in small babies. Dr. Kheirbek believes that fetal surgery for diseases such as spinal myelomeningocele and urologic problems is a promising trend that is showing improvements in outcomes nationwide.
Dr. Kheirbek first discovered his passion for newborns while obtaining his medical degree at Damascus University in Syria. He completed a residency at Children’s Hospital in Damascus prior to his residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke’s. In 1990, he completed a fellowship program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and has been working there ever since.
Philosophy of care
“I love babies and treat every newborn that is in my care as if they were my own. My approach is to equip families with evidence-based information so that they are empowered to make the best decision for their child. When I meet with families, I take the time to educate them about their baby’s condition and all their possible treatment options. I am always honest and transparent about what can be done for the child; if I believe they would be better served in another location or facility, I will not hesitate to say so because my priority is the best interest of the baby. I know that every family is different, and their value system and personal wishes will always be taken into consideration when developing a treatment plan for their child.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Birth Asphyxia
- Body Cooling
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
- Diaphragmatic Hernia
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- High Frequency Ventilation
- Inhaled Nitric Oxide
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Neonatal Bowel Obstruction
- Neonatal Jaundice
- Neonatal Sepsis
- Non Invasive Ventilation
- Omphalocele
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Of The Newborn
- Premature Birth
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Retinopathy Of Prematurity
- Therapeutic Hypothermia
- Umbilical Arterial Line Insertion
- Venous Line Insertion
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Birth Asphyxia
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
- Diaphragmatic Hernia
- Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Neonatal Bowel Obstruction
- Neonatal Jaundice
- Neonatal Sepsis
- Omphalocele
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Of The Newborn
- Premature Birth
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Retinopathy Of Prematurity
Procedures I perform
- Body Cooling
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- High Frequency Ventilation
- Inhaled Nitric Oxide
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Non Invasive Ventilation
- Therapeutic Hypothermia
- Umbilical Arterial Line Insertion
- Venous Line Insertion
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)
- CFBCBS EPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- PPO and PPO Plus
- Open HMO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Innovation Health: POS
- Network OA
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Open POS II
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Open EPO Plus
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA EPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- Opoen HMO Option
- Innovation Health: PPO
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Tricare Prime
- FIRST HEALTH
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatrics
Fellowship: Georgetown University Hospital (1990)
Residency: Rush University Medical Center (1988)
Medical School: University of Damascus School of Medicine (1979)