About me
About the Provider
Darling Ruiz, MD, is an attending pulmonary and critical care physician at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ailments and illnesses of the lungs, including asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, and unknown causes of shortness of breath and cough. Dr. Ruiz uses a wide range of diagnostic testing in her practice, including bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound, and transbronchial needle aspiration. Her clinical interests include evaluation and management of interstitial lung disease, the use of endobronchial ultrasound for lung cancer screening and staging, and treating patients with COPD, asthma, and sarcoidosis.
Dr. Ruiz received her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua. Dr. Ruiz then served as an attending general practitioner at Matron Roberts Polyclinic II in Belize City, Belize before joining Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD for a three-year internal medicine residency, where she served as Chief Resident and was named Intern of the Year for 2013-2014. Dr. Ruiz completed a specialty fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, where she also served as Chief Fellow. She is a member of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.
Dr. Ruiz is fluent in Spanish.
Philosophy of Care
“My goal is to not only improve the health of my patients but to improve their quality of life. I follow and implement best practices and guidelines, heavily taking into consideration the preferences, priorities, and treatment goals of my patients. Collaborating with my patients is important to me. I take the time to practice clear communication with my patients so that they fully understand their diagnosis and treatment options and are therefore able to make informed decisions regarding their care.”
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Advanced Diagnostic Bronchoscopy
- Arterial Line Placement
- Central Line Insertion
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Paracentesis
- Thoracentesis
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
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select (aka Senior Advantage)
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CFBCBS EPO
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Open EPO Plus
- Open POS II
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- PPO and PPO Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Open HMO
- Innovation Health: POS
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna HMO
- CIGNA EPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Opoen HMO Option
- Network OA
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- FIRST HEALTH
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Tricare Prime
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- United Student Resources
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine
Fellowship Program: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2020)
Residency Program: Ascension Maryland Saint Agnes Hospital (2017)
Graduate Education: IUSC Universidad de Cdiz (2008)
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua (2007)