About me
Cristina Merkhofer, MD, MHS, is a medical oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She specializes in treating head and neck cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, salivary gland cancers, and thyroid cancers. She also specializes in thoracic cancers, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymic malignancies.
As a medical oncologist, Dr. Merkhofer oversees medication-based treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. She collaborates with colleagues in radiation oncology, surgery, and other medical specialties to develop personalized treatment plans for her patients. She cares deeply about making her patients feel heard and giving them enough information to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
Dr. Merkhofer graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania before earning a Master of Health Science in international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She obtained her MD at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She completed her residency in internal medicine and participated in the Global Health and Underserved Populations track at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Merkhofer then completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
With a strong background in global health and health services research, Dr. Merkhofer strives to improve access to oncology care in the DC area and bring promising new therapies to her patients. For her prior research in advanced lung cancer, she has been honored with a 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Young Investigator Award, a 2020 Conquer Cancer Merit Award, and the Stork Petersdorf Lung Cancer Research Award. She is an active member of ASCO and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
Philosophy of Care
“I believe that the physician-patient relationship is sacred. I see my patients as whole people with unique goals, histories, and challenges, and not just defined by their illness. My goal is to help my patients understand their illness and to provide strong support so that they can make the best health decisions for themselves and their families. I am committed to bringing the latest treatments to my patients and to improving access to oncology care in the DC area.”
About MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute
MedStar Washington and MedStar Georgetown are part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, which combines medical expertise, the latest therapies, and research across MedStar Health. Our research engine, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, D.C., region. This partnership means we provide access to cutting-edge clinical trials and the latest breakthroughs in cancer care.
Clinical areas of focus
- Blood Clotting Disorder Treatment
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment
- Lung Cancer Treatment
- Oncology Consultation
- Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Tumor Marker Testing
Procedures I perform
- Anemia Management
- Antiangiogenic Therapy
- Blood Cell Count
- Blood Chemistry Test
- Blood Clot Treatment
- Blood Clotting Disorder Treatment
- Blood Disorder Diagnosis
- Blood Transfusion
- Bone Cancer Staging
- Breast Cancer Treatment
- Cancer Clinical Trial Management
- Cancer Genetics Evaluation
- Cancer Pain Management
- Cancer Rehabilitation
- Cancer Risk Assessment
- Cancer Treatment
- Chemotherapy Administration
- Clinical Trials
- Coagulopathy Management
- Colorectal Cancer Treatment
- Cushing Syndrome Management
- Deep Vein Thrombosis Management
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment
- Genetic Counseling
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Hematology Consultation
- Hepatic Artery Infusion
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Intravenous (IV) Fluids
- Intravenous Antibiotics
- Leukemia Treatment
- Liver Disease Consultation
- Lung Cancer Treatment
- Lymph Node Biopsy
- Lymphoma Management
- Lymphoma Treatment
- Magnesium Imbalance Treatment
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplant
- Multiple Myeloma Treatment
- Neutropenia Management
- Newborn Screening Tests
- Nonautologous Platelets Transfusion
- Nonautologous Red Blood Cells Transfusion
- Oncology Consultation
- Pain Management Consultation
- Palliative Care Consultation
- Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
- Prolotherapy Infusions
- Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Red Blood Cell Transfusion
- Sickle Cell Anemia Treatment
- Surgical Oncology Surgery
- Thrombophilia Management
- Tumor Marker Testing
- Vitamin Deficiency Management
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
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Choice POS II
- Police and Fire Clinic
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- OA Plus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- IH-EPO Plus
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Navigate
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CareFirst NASCO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- TRICARE East Select
- Beech Street PPO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CareFirst Administrators
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Core Essential (HMO)
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Employee Health Plan
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- TRICARE for Life East
- Network OA
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-Indemnity
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- UHC Passport
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CIGNA PPO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- BlueChoice Open Access
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Classic 3500
- HighMark
- United Student Resources
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- IH-POS
- CareFirst EPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Choice POS II Open Access
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Medicare Direct
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- CIGNA EPO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Aetna Basic
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice
- IH-PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- First Health PPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Medicare FFS
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Choice POS
- First Health PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology
Fellowship: University of Washington School of Medicine (2020)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-GME (2017)
Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health (2014)