About me
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.”
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-Network Only Plus
- Navigate
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Sentara Health
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst NASCO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- IH-Open POS II
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Medicare Direct
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- IH-Indemnity
- IH-POS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- HighMark
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Basic
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- OA Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- IH-Open HMO Option
- United Student Resources
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Medicare FFS
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- IH-EPO Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- UHC Passport
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Choice POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Tricare Reserve Select
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- POS OA
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- IH-POS Plus
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna VA Exchange
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Administrators
- Beech Street PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna HMO
- IH-HMO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst EPO
- Network OA
- Optimum Choice
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease
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)