About me
Rizwan Ahmad Tahir, MD, joins MedStar Health as a neurosurgeon for the department of Neurosurgery. He is a specialist in cerebrovascular disorders and neurosurgery. Dr. Tahir is a compassionate and caring physician who works collaboratively with his patients to achieve the best outcomes.
As the recipient of several academic honors and awards, Dr. Tahir has published 20 peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. His research interest includes cerebral vascular and endovascular neurosurgery–specifically as it pertains to stroke and vascular malformations and aneurysms.
Dr. Tahir earned his medical degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He completed his fellowship in Cerebrovascular at the University of Illinois in Chicago and his fellowship in Endovascular Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Philosophy of care
Dr. Tahir believes the surgeon and patient relationship should be built on a foundation of trust and transparency to achieve the best outcomes.
“I work closely with my patients and take a very personalized approach. I encourage my patients to ask as many questions as they need to understand their options and make decisions that are right for them—it is critical that they are actively involved in the decision-making process. Together, we collaborate on creating a treatment plan, making sure to incorporate the patient’s wishes and goals.”
When not practicing medicine, Dr. Tahir enjoys spending time with his wife, a headache neurologist at MedStar Health, and their two children. He enjoys playing basketball and football, exercising, good food, and travel. He is also committed to volunteering for global health and disaster relief efforts.
Dr. Tahir sees patients at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Clinical areas of focus
- Brain Tumor
- Hydrocephalus
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Aneurysm
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Benign Neoplasm Of Brain And Central Nervous System
- Benign Tumor
- Blindness And Low Vision
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Disorders
- Brain Tumor
- Carotid Stenosis
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Congenital Malformations Of Peripheral Vascular System
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Deforming Dorsopathies
- Dorsalgia
- Epilepsy
- Head Injury
- Hemangioma
- Hydrocephalus
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Intraspinal Granuloma
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Meninges
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Spinal Cord
- Meningioma
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Omphalocele
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Parkinson's Disease
- Scoliosis
- Secondary Malignant Neoplasm Of Brain
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spine Tumor
- Spondylopathies
- Vascular Malformations Of The Brain
Procedures I perform
- Bifrontal Craniectomy
- Cerebellar Hemorrhage Evacuation
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Revision
- Cervical Nerve Release
- Cervical Spinal Cord Release
- Cervical Vertebral Disc Excision
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Cranial Nerve Neurostimulator Electrode Array And Pulse Generator Implantation
- Craniectomy For Hematoma Evacuation
- Cranioplasty
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Dura Mater Supplement
- Endovascular Intracranial Prolonged Administration Of Pharmacologic Agent
- Excision Of Cerebral Ventricle
- Lumboperitoneal Shunt
- Lumbosacral Disc Excision
- Occlusion Intracranial Artery
- Open Brain Release
- Parkinson's Disease
- Parotid Biopsy
- Removal Of Bone Flap
- Resection Of Thoracic Vertebral Disc
- Sacral Nerve Release
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Brain Tumors
- Stereotactic Spinal Procedure
- Subclavian Artery Extirpation
- Thoracic Aorta To Carotid Artery Bypass With Synthetic Substitute
- Thoracic Laminectomy
- Thoracic Nerve Release
- Upper Artery Synthetic Substitute Removal
- Venous Access Device Removal
- Vestibular Nerve Tumor Surgery
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
- Aetna HMO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- HighMark
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open POS II
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- First Health PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst EPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-PPO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Administrators
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Choice POS II
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- POS OA
- Core Essential (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Optimum Choice
- IH-Indemnity
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- UHC Passport
- TRICARE East Prime
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- TRICARE for Life East
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- BlueChoice Open Access
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Medicare FFS
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Navigate
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA EPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- United Student Resources
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Choice Fund PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Medicare Direct
- IH-HMO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- United Healthcare Choice
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Network OA
- OA Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-POS Plus
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- CareFirst NASCO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Blue Choice Advantage
- IH-POS
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- TRICARE East Select
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgery
Fellowship: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medical (2022)
Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Jefferson Health (2021)
Residency: Henry Ford Hospital (2020)
Medical School: Wayne State University (2013)