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