About me
Miguel Pinilla Vera, MD, also known as ‘Doctor Miguel’ to his patients, is an attending in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute.
Dr. Miguel Pinilla Vera provides diagnostic testing and evidence-based treatment to patients who are at all stages of heart failure (weakening of the heart muscle)–from the early and asymptomatic stages to the most advanced situations, in which a heart transplant or a mechanical long-term pump might be needed.
A major focus of Dr. Pinilla Vera’s practice involves taking care of patients by using medications; recommending changes in lifestyle; and evaluating the necessity of using mechanical pumps, like left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and heart transplantation, when medication treatment is no longer an option. He works closely with the cardiac surgeons at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, one of the largest LVADs centers in the world, to care for patients who require surgical intervention for advanced heart failure.
His clinical and research interests include diagnosing, treating, and providing long-term care for patients with advanced heart failure and inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Dr. Pinilla Vera is passionate about further understanding the mechanisms of the development of heart failure as well as finding better ways to treat patients with this condition. He plans to collaborate with other physicians and investigators at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute aiming to discover and offer better options to care for patients with heart failure.
Dr. Pinilla Vera trained in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and in cardiology and heart failure and transplant cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. He also obtained extensive training in molecular research at Duke University and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School, in addition to research training in molecular cardiology at Johns Hopkins. This led to multiple publications in the best scientific journals and, most recently, a scholarship from the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI).
Dr. Pinilla Vera is also a native Spanish speaker. When not accompanying his patients in their care journey, Dr. Pinilla Vera enjoys being a husband and father to two kids, swimming, playing soccer, and learning to snowboard and play the drums.
Philosophy of care
“My family members and I have been patients too. I strive to provide and encourage everyone on my team to care for patients as if it was for me or my family members. When I meet my patients for the first time, I emphasize that I have their backs and am navigating this journey with them and their families; rain or shine, through smooth and stormy waters.
“Caring for patients with advanced heart conditions requires a team approach. I prioritize communication with other members of the team across MedStar Health, but especially with referring physicians, who allow me the privilege of becoming a member of their team by taking care of their patients.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Graft Failure
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Rejection
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Heart Transplant
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Complications Of Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Prosthetic Valve Failure
- Pulmonary Edema
- Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
Procedures I perform
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
110 Irving St NW
MHVI-1st Floor North Addition
Washington, DC, 20010
102 Irving St NW
Washington, DC, 20010
7501 Surratts Rd
Ste 304
Clinton, MD, 20735
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
PHC Bldg 5th Fl
Washington, DC, 20007
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
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Sentara Health
- First Health PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- TRICARE East Select
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Network OA
- Blue Choice Advantage
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-PPO
- Navigate
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-Open POS II
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- IH-EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Medicare FFS
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Classic 3500
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Medicare Direct
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Employee Health Plan
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Choice POS
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Core Essential (HMO)
- HighMark
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CIGNA PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Choice POS II
- United Student Resources
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Administrators
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst NASCO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- POS OA
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst EPO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- IH-POS
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Optimum Choice
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- IH-Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- IH-POS Plus
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-Open HMO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2022)
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2021)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2016)
Medical School: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (2008)