About me
Susan O'Donoghue, MD, is a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She previously served as Associate Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Center and Director of the Combined Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is presently Director of Cardiogenetic Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a new program for the diagnosis and treatment of inherited cardiac disorders, which she developed. Dr. O'Donoghue has been providing care for more than 25 years.
Dr. O'Donoghue is a member of the Washington Electrophysiologic Society, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). She has authored numerous textbook chapters and journal articles.
Dr. O'Donoghue specializes in treating heart rhythm disorders through the use of electrophysiologic studies, catheter ablation procedures and devices such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). She is currently conducting research measuring the energy present on the skin surface when an internal defibrillator fires.
Dr. O'Donoghue completed her undergraduate studies in the Honors program at the University of Connecticut, where she graduated summa cum laude and received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency training in internal medicine at Emory University, and her Cardiology Fellowship at Emory University and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Dr. O'Donoghue also completed a fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology and pacing at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Philosophy of Care
"From a young age, I began volunteering at a nursing home. I volunteered until I was hired as a nurse's aide at the age of 16 and continued this work while completing my undergraduate degree. I still remember many of my patients to this day. Together with my love of science, that early experience helped me come to the decision to become a physician
It is an honor to participate in an individual's care. Each person I meet receives my full attention and a unique approach to their diagnosis and treatment plan. I strive to be a patient and empathetic listener, especially when it comes to the concerns of my patients. I feel fulfilled when my patients tell me that they're glad they came to see me and that they would recommend their loved ones to me.
Referring physicians should know that I will communicate clearly back to them and maintain a dialogue. I will take excellent care of their patients."
Clinical areas of focus
- Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
- Atrial Flutter
- Bradycardia
- Cardiac Ablation
- Cardiac Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiac Arrest
- Electrophysiology Study For Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Palpitations
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Tachycardia
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
- Watchman Device Implantation
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Flutter
- Bradycardia
- Brugada Syndrome
- Bundle Branch Block
- Cardiac Ablation
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Cardiac Conduction Disorders
- Cardiac Prosthetic Device Malfunction
- Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
- Circulatory System Complications
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
- Electric Shock Injuries To The Heart
- Heart Block
- Heart Racing
- Implantable Cardioverter
- Implantable Defibrillator Maintenance
- Long Qt Syndrome
- Pacemaker Implantation
- Palpitations
- Premature Atrial Contraction
- Premature Atrial Contractions
- Premature Atrial Contractions (PACS)
- Premature Ventricular Contractions
- Short Qt Syndrome
- Sick Sinus Syndrome
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Syncope
- Tachycardia
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
- Watchman Device Implantation
Procedures I perform
- Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
- Atrial Septal Defect Repair
- Cardiac Ablation
- Cardiac Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiac Ablation For Ventricular Tachycardia
- Cardiac Defibrillator Threshold Testing
- Cardiac Loop Recorder Placement
- Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
- Cardioversion
- Electrophysiology Study
- Electrophysiology Study For Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Endometrial Extraction
- Event Monitoring
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Heart Rhythm Monitoring
- Holter Monitoring
- Implantable Loop Recorder
- Maze Procedure For Atrial Fibrillation
- Mep (MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS)
- Pacemaker Lead Replacement
- Pacemaker Placement
- Pulmonary Vein Isolation
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Temporary Transcutaneous Pacing
- Tilt Table Test
- Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
- Watchman Device Implantation
- Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome Treatment
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
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- UHC Passport
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- First Health PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Medicare FFS
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS Plus
- IH-EPO Plus
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Beech Street PPO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Choice POS
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Optimum Choice
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- IH-Open POS II
- First Health PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst NASCO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Aetna Basic
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Sentara Health
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Medicare Direct
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Network OA
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Navigate
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- HighMark
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- United Student Resources
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst EPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Choice POS II
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- OA Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- POS OA
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Indemnity
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- HealthyBlue PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna HMO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Employee Health Plan
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Choice Fund PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
Fellowship: Medstar-Washington Hospital Center (1988)
Residency: Emory University Hospital-GME (1984)
Internship: Emory University Hospital-GME (1982)
Medical School: Georgetown University (1981)
Medical School: University Of Connecticut (1977)