About me
Ajay Kadakkal, MD, is a board-certified advanced heart failure specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute. He treats patients with advanced diastolic heart failure and congestive heart failure. He also treats patients who are in need of a heart transplant and require mechanical service support from devices like the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In addition, Dr. Kadakkal takes a special interest in infiltrative and inflammatory heart conditions like cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, which are often underdiagnosed. He is dedicated to building MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute as a referral base and top local center for referrals for patients with these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal is part of a strong clinical practice at MedStar Health that provides a variety of diagnostic tests, ranging from imaging to cardiac stress testing. As part of this practice, he contributes to a team that is at the forefront of LVAD device placement and management at one of the top LVAD implant centers in the country. Dr. Kadakkal is passionate about continuing to develop and improve the durability and size of LVADs. His goal is to contribute to clinical trials that will improve the design of LVADs to be fully implantable, smaller, and less intrusive to the patient’s quality of life.
He is part of a group research effort at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute that involves a variety of clinical trials currently researching and providing new technology to patients who require mechanical circulatory support. His team is also currently building a database that observes patients with sarcoidosis and amyloidosis, looking at the difference in hemodynamic parameters among specific treatments for these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He then joined University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for residency and fellowship training before completing a specialty fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.
Philosophy of Care
“Today, cardiovascular care is heavily influenced by technology. For this reason, it’s important that I am able to offer my patients the most advanced technology available while adhering to evidence-based practices.
“I take the time to help each patient understand the process of his/her disease and clearly understand what treatment options are available to either improve his/her health or stay within the lines of what his/her goals of care are. I believe that a holistic approach to patient care provides the best results. The ability to provide compassionate care lies in the time I take to listen to my patients in order to provide them with the best quality of life and survival available to them by implementing what I feel is the newest and most advanced technology.
“I am available to share information with providers and coordinate care with them for any referral patients.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
- Ventricular Assist Device Infection
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
163 Thomas Johnson Dr
Ste E
Frederick, MD, 21702
110 Irving St NW
MHVI-1st Floor North Addition
Washington, DC, 20010
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
PHC Bldg 5th Fl
Washington, DC, 20007
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
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- HealthyBlue PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- IH-Open HMO Option
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- IH-POS Plus
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst NASCO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- HighMark
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Administrators
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-HMO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- IH-PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- IH-Open HMO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Medicare Direct
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CIGNA Indemnity
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Aetna HMO
- POS OA
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-Open POS II
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- IH-Open POS Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- IH-POS
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA EPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Medicare FFS
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Navigate
- Choice POS
- TRICARE East Select
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-EPO Plus
- Network OA
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna VA Exchange
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CareFirst EPO
- First Health PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Tricare Reserve Select
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Basic
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Beech Street PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (2017)
Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2016)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2012)
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2009)