About me
Regional Chief of Cardiology – Baltimore Region
Samer Najjar, MD, is the Regional Chief of Cardiology for the Baltimore region, overseeing cardiology services at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, and MedStar Harbor Hospital. He also provides leadership for MedStar Health’s ambulatory cardiology practices.
Clinical Expertise
Dr. Najjar is a cardiologist with subspecialty expertise in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support. He specializes in state-of-the-art therapies for heart failure and cares for patients with advanced heart failure, those supported by left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and heart transplant recipients.
Leadership & Academic Appointments
Dr. Najjar is a Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and co-chairs MedStar’s Cardiology Clinical Practice Council. He previously served as Director of the advanced heart failure program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he led its growth into one of the leading programs in the nation.
Prior to joining MedStar Health, Dr. Najjar was on faculty at Johns Hopkins University. He was also a member of the NIH intramural clinical research program, where he served as Head of the Human Cardiovascular Studies Unit at the National Institute on Aging.
During his fellowship, Dr. Najjar received the prestigious American College of Cardiology/Merck Research Award.
Research & Publications
Dr. Najjar is passionate about advancing cardiovascular care through research and innovation. He has received numerous honors and awards and has authored more than 175 manuscripts in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Patient-Centered Care
Dr. Najjar and his team provide a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to care, partnering closely with patients and caregivers. This includes collaboration with heart failure nurses, coordinators, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and symptom management specialists.
Personal
Outside of medicine, Dr. Najjar enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and three children.
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Amyloidosis
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Disease
- Cardiac Fibrosis
- Cardiac Graft Failure
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Complications Of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADS)
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Inotropic Therapy Management
- Liver Transplant Evaluation
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocardial Infarction (HEART ATTACK)
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Rheumatic Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Ventricular Tachycardia
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
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CareFirst EPO
- IH-Open HMO
- First Health PPO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- HealthyBlue PPO
- HighMark
- IH-POS
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- OA Plus
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CIGNA Indemnity
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- TRICARE East Prime
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- BlueChoice Open Access
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Beech Street PPO
- CIGNA PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Navigate
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- POS OA
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open POS II
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-POS Plus
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Medicare FFS
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Employee Health Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- TRICARE for Life East
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- IH-HMO
- IH-Indemnity
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Choice POS II
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Student Resources
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- Choice Fund PPO
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Classic 3500
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna HMO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- MultiPlan, Inc
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Choice POS
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Medicare Direct
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst NASCO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
Videos
Education
Board Certification:
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2000)
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1996)
Graduate: Yale University (1993)
Graduate: Yale University School of Medicine (1993)
Awards
- Baltimore Magazine, Top Doc, 2024, 2025