About me
Gary Volkell, DO, is a board-certified neurologist who is fellowship trained in movement disorders. He sees patients at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.
Dr. Volkell specializes in treatment for Parkinson’s disease, dystonia (including cervical dystonia/spasmodic torticollis), tardive dyskinesia, chorea, Huntington’s disease, tremor (including essential tremor), tics, Tourette’s syndrome, restless legs syndrome, REM-sleep behavior disorder, ataxia, and functional movement disorders. In addition to these movement conditions, Dr. Volkell also treats general neurologic concerns such as stroke, seizure, headache and migraines, memory issues, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Dr. Volkell is experienced in the latest neurologic innovations. He performs lumbar punctures; microelectrode recording and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) programming for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia; and Botulinum toxin injections for dystonia, cervical dystonia/spasmodic torticollis, spasticity, sialorrhea, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, and migraines. He has also worked in clinical trial research for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism.
It is important to Dr. Volkell to get to know his patients long-term. He works collaboratively with his patients to solve neurologic problems, share his knowledge, and develop a personalized treatment plan so that his patients find relief. He also dedicates time by speaking to the community at educational events and support groups on topics such as Parkinson’s disease.
He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. He is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
During medical school, Dr. Volkell provided healthcare in Costa Rica at Universidad de Iberoamerica. He is conversational in medical Spanish.
In 2023, he was named a Top Doctor by Baltimore magazine.
Clinical areas of focus
- Blurred Vision
- Demyelinating Disease
- Disorder Of Balance
- Dizziness
- Migraine
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Numbness
- Optic Neuritis
- Spasticity
- Transverse Myelitis
- Unsteady Gait
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Arm Weakness
- Ataxia
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
- Blurred Vision
- Carotid Stenosis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- Cerebellar Ataxia
- Cerebellar Disease
- Cerebral Aneurysm
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)
- Cervical Dystonia
- Cognitive Impairment
- Corticobasal Degeneration
- Cranial Nerve Injury
- Demyelinating Disease
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Diplopia
- Disorder Of Balance
- Dizziness
- Dysarthria
- Dyskinesia
- Dystonia
- Epilepsy
- Essential Tremor
- Facial Droop
- Facial Nerve Palsy
- Facial Nerve Palsy And Paresis
- Facial Pain
- Focal Dystonia
- Handwriting Tremor
- Headache
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Horner Syndrome
- Impaired Coordination
- Intention Tremor
- Intermittent Tremor
- Ischemic Stroke
- Kinetic Tremor
- Lacunar Stroke
- Leg Weakness
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Lip Droop
- Lobar Atrophy Of Brain
- Medication Overuse Headache
- Memory Disorders
- Migraine
- Movement Diseases And Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Neck Pain
- Nervous System Disorders
- Neuropathy
- Non Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysm
- Numbness
- Occipital Neuralgia
- Optic Neuritis
- Orthostatic Hypotension
- Paresthesia
- Parkinson's Disease (PD)
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Positional Vertigo
- Primary Cerebellar Degeneration
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
- Pseudotumor Cerebri
- Slurred Speech
- Spasticity
- Spinocerebellar Ataxia
- Spinocerebellar Degeneration
- Spinocerebellar Diseases
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Syncope
- Tic Disorders
- Torticollis
- Tourette Syndrome
- Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
- Transverse Myelitis
- Tremor
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Twitching
- Unsteady Gait
Procedures I perform
- Balance Testing
- Botox For Dystonia
- Botox For Hemifacial Spasm
- Botox For Migraines
- Botox For Spasticity
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Evaluation (EMU)
- Headache Therapy
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Infusion Treatment
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
- D-SNP)
- United Choice
- Tricare East Prime
- Cigna EPO
- United Navigate
- United Golden Rule
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Cigna Network Open Access
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- United Select Plus (POS)
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- United Student Resources
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Signature
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Innovation Health: POS
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- Tricare East Select
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- HealthyBlue PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Tricare for Life East
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Optimum Choice
- I-SNP
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Cigna Indemnity
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Employee Health Plan (EHP)
- Kaiser Select
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Virginia Premier
- Carefirst EPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- WellPoint Maryland
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Choice Plus
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Aetna HMO
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Innovation Health: PPO
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- First Health PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology
Fellowship Program: Albany Medical Center (2021)
Residency Program: Albany Medical Center (2020)
Medical School: New York College (2016)
Awards
- Top Doctor by Baltimore magazine - 2023
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Research
Abstract
- King, J., Volkell, G., Wyant, J., and Molho, E. Subacute Encephalopathy with Pimavanserin Treatment in Parkinson’s Disease. Submitted to International Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Society
Chapter
- “Cervical Dystonia” Volkell, G and Molho, accepted to Neurology MedLink on 1/24/2021