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