About me
As a Board Certified/Board eligible critical care physician, all conditions requiring intensive care in the medical, surgical, or neurosciences ICU are treated.
About the Provider
Darling Ruiz, MD, is an attending pulmonary and critical care physician at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ailments and illnesses of the lungs, including asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, and unknown causes of shortness of breath and cough. Dr. Ruiz uses a wide range of diagnostic testing in her practice, including bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound, and transbronchial needle aspiration. Her clinical interests include evaluation and management of interstitial lung disease, the use of endobronchial ultrasound for lung cancer screening and staging, and treating patients with COPD, asthma, and sarcoidosis.
Dr. Ruiz received her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua. Dr. Ruiz then served as an attending general practitioner at Matron Roberts Polyclinic II in Belize City, Belize before joining Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD for a three-year internal medicine residency, where she served as Chief Resident and was named Intern of the Year for 2013-2014. Dr. Ruiz completed a specialty fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where she also served as Chief Fellow. She is a member of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.
Dr. Ruiz is fluent in Spanish.
Philosophy of Care
“My goal is to not only improve the health of my patients but to improve their quality of life. I follow and implement best practices and guidelines, heavily taking into consideration the preferences, priorities, and treatment goals of my patients. Collaborating with my patients is important to me. I take the time to practice clear communication with my patients so that they fully understand their diagnosis and treatment options and are therefore able to make informed decisions regarding their care.”
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Bronchoscopy
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Pulmonary Embolism
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-Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- IH-POS
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- MultiPlan, Inc
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- UHC Passport
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA Indemnity
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-POS Plus
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Choice POS II
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- IH-EPO Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-Indemnity
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-Open POS II
- IH-Open HMO
- CIGNA EPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Choice
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Student Resources
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CareFirst NASCO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CareFirst EPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Navigate
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Basic
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- POS OA
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- First Health PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Choice POS
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Sentara Health
- CIGNA PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- HighMark
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Beech Street PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- OA Plus
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna VA Exchange
- First Health PPO
- IH-HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Choice Fund PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Medicare FFS
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- IH-PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Employee Health Plan
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Network OA
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2020)
Residency: Ascension Maryland Saint Agnes Hospital (2017)
Graduate: Universidad de Cadiz (2008)
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Autonoma Nicaragua (2007)