Learn More About Me
Specialties: Cardiac Surgery
Languages: English
410-554-6534
About me
Rachel Harrison, MD, is a cardiac surgeon at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. She is board certified in general and thoracic surgery.
Dr. Harrison treats ischemic cardiac disease, structural heart conditions, valvular disease, and rhythm disorders, often through minimally invasive approaches. She is uniquely skilled in complex lead extraction and management, related to pacemakers and defibrillators, which may be necessary due to infections, device recalls, and other complications.
As a result of Dr. Harrison’s advanced surgical training, she offers her patients high levels of confidence in her technical expertise. She’s also had significant experience caring for very sick patients––prior to joining MedStar Health, she managed advanced heart failure, providing mechanical support, such as LVADs, and heart transplantation. She has served as an educator in the fields of lead management and heart failure, sharing her knowledge with other clinicians.
Dr. Harrison’s current research interests focus on structural heart and valvular protocols, including minimally invasive methods for replacing and repairing the tricuspid and mitral valves.
Philosophy of Care
“Every patient of mine is number one––in the clinic and in the operating room. I ensure the whole care team is united in our goals for surgery, always prioritizing what’s best for the patient. I treat each person as if they were a member of my own family and help guide them through decisions with a measured approach. I am conservative when recommending surgery and will only do so if it is truly in the best interest of the patient.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Cardiopulmonary Bypass
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Pericardial Window Creation
- Reoperation, Coronary Artery Bypass
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Acute Bacterial Endocarditis
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Arch Aneurysm
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Atrial Septal Defect
- Complications Of Procedures
- Coronary Artery Blockage
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Myocardial Infarction (HEART ATTACK)
- Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
- Reoperative Cardiac Conditions
- Rheumatic Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Thoracic Aortic Dissection
- Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm
- Tricuspid Stenosis
- Ventricular Septal Defect
Procedures I perform
- Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Aneurysm Repair
- Aortic Dissection Repair
- Aortic Root Replacement
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Atrial Septal Defect Repair
- Atrial Septum Supplement
- Cardiac Myxoma Excision
- Cardiac Surgical Device Explantation
- Cardiopulmonary Bypass
- Cerebral Embolic Filtration
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Endoscopy With Vein Harvest
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Heart Failure Surgery
- Heart Transplant
- Heart Transplantation
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Treatment
- Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
- Intraaortic Balloon Pump Placement
- Left Ventricular Reconstruction
- Maze Procedure For Atrial Fibrillation
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Occlusion Of Left Atrial Appendage
- Pericardial Window Creation
- Pulmonary Valve Replacement
- Reoperation, Coronary Artery Bypass
- Subclavian Artery Extirpation
- Thoracic Aneurysm Repair
- Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Tricuspid Valve Repair
- Valvuloplasty
- Ventricular Restoration
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
3300 N Calvert St
2nd Fl
Baltimore, MD, 21218
5009 Honeygo Center Dr
Ste 210
Perry Hall, MD, 21128
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
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- TRICARE for Life East
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Network OA
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna HMO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Choice Fund PPO
- Navigate
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- HighMark
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- POS OA
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Beech Street PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open POS II
- TRICARE East Select
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst EPO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst NASCO
- Employee Health Plan
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- UHC Passport
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Open HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- First Health PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- IH-HMO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- IH-Indemnity
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Sentara Health
- IH-POS
- CareFirst Administrators
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Optimum Choice
- IH-PPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Medicare Direct
- IH-EPO Plus
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- MultiPlan, Inc
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Choice POS
- IH-Open POS Plus
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Choice POS II
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CIGNA PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- United Healthcare Choice
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 3500
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Student Resources
- Medicare FFS
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2016)
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2014)
Medical School: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2009)
Awards
- Baltimore Magazine, Top Doc, 2025
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Gangadharamurth D, Furqan MM, Klein AL, Malhotra S, Harrison R, Jaikumar L, Pidikiti, Richards, LeBaron, Patel, Jagtap, Prather J. Timely Recognition and Successful Clinical Outcome of an Acute Debakey Type I Aortic Dissection. Circulation;142:A13504, 12 Nov 2020.
Shi J, Tricot GJ, Malaviarachchi PA, Szmania SM, Kellum RE, Storrie B, Mulder A, Shaughnessy JD, Barlogie B, van Rhee F. Bortezomib Down-Regulates The Cell-Surface Expression Of HLA Class I And Enhances Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Lysis Of Myeloma. Blood. 2008 Feb; 111(3): 1309-1317.