About me
Rania Kaoukis, MD, is an attending advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant cardiologist affiliated with MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Dr. Kaoukis is board certified in heart failure and transplant cardiology, cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine. She specializes in the treatment and management of patients with congestive heart failure, end-stage heart failure, and ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.
Dr. Kaoukis provides guideline-directed medical therapy as the cornerstone of treatment for heart failure. She also provides mechanical circulatory support and manages patients before, during, and after heart transplantation.
Her research interests have focused on the use of echocardiography to monitor changes in cardiac anatomy and function in patients on guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure.
Dr. Kaoukis is passionate about using her experience to provide advanced heart failure treatments to rural communities; those who historically have had less access to the care that is provided at large academic medical centers located in metropolis areas.
Dr. Kaoukis received her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
She completed an internal medicine residency at Loyola University Medical Center and a three-year cardiovascular fellowship at Temple University Hospital. She then completed advanced fellowship training in heart failure and transplantation at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians.
When not dedicating her time to providing heart failure treatment to her community, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her dog. She loves to travel and enjoys cooking and preparing Greek pastries.
Philosophy of care
“I’m dedicated to a philosophy of continuous learning. My promise to my patients is that I will continue to be as up-to-date as possible when it comes to the field of heart failure medicine so that I can offer my patients the most vanguard treatments and appropriate care for their diagnosis and health history.
“I approach each patient with the intention of treating them as a whole. I believe it’s essential to understand both the medical needs as well as the psychosocial needs of each of my patients in order to recommend and deliver the most appropriate care. I take the time to ask the right questions, and actively listen to my patients’ concerns and treatment goals.
“As a heart failure specialist who has been trained within the MedStar Health system, I look forward to collaborating with providers, surgeons, and team members to provide thorough, high-quality, and multidisciplinary care.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Arrest
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Rejection
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
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
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- IH-PPO
- TRICARE East Select
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- HighMark
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Sentara Health
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- OA Plus
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Optimum Choice
- IH-POS Plus
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Medicare FFS
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Choice POS
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- IH-Open POS II
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- IH-POS
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Employee Health Plan
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- TRICARE for Life East
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Choice Fund PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Aetna HMO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-HMO
- IH-EPO Plus
- UHC Passport
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- TRICARE East Prime
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Basic
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-Indemnity
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Choice POS II
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- First Health PPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CIGNA PPO
- CareFirst EPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Navigate
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Student Resources
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: Medstar Washington Hospital Center (2021)
Fellowship: Temple University Hospital (2020)
Residency: Loyola University Medical Center (2017)
Medical School: Indiana Univ/Purdue University-Indianapolis (2014)