About me
Christine Trankiem Wall, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon and critical care surgeon. She is the Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Regional Chief of the same for MedStar Health. Dr. Trankiem serves as state Vice Chair for the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and participates in the education of medical students, physicians in training, and peers. She is Chair of the Code Critical Airway Committee, serves on the Risk Management Committee, and is a member of the Medical Board and Medical Executive Committee of the hospital.
Dr. Trankiem specializes in trauma, general surgery including gastrointestinal and bowel surgery, and surgical critical care. Her clinical interests include trauma surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, necrotizing acute soft tissue infections (or flesh eating bacteria), community violence prevention and outreach, and organ donation. As chief of the Gold Acute Care Surgery Team at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Trankiem has an added level of expertise in taking care of patients with seemingly straightforward general surgery issues that may develop into critical care needs. Patients who come to MedStar for care will also be treated by other physicians in the Gold Acute Care Surgery Team, in addition to being treated by Dr. Trankiem.
Dr. Trankiem earned her undergraduate degree from the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, pursued post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and obtained her medical degree from MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine. She completed her general surgery residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and completed her fellowship training with the Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at Los Angeles County Hospital at the University of Southern California.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Trankiem came to Washington, DC for the opportunity to provide advanced trauma and surgical care to area residents. Dr. Trankiem is an advocate for team care. Data shows that a team always outperforms an individual. For this reason, she is passionate about surgical education and critical events team training. When not searching for innovative approaches to care for trauma patients, Dr. Trankiem enjoys spending time with her husband and son hiking, white water rafting, and adventure travelling.
Philosophy of Care
“Mental wellness, spiritual well-being, nutrition, social work and physical therapy are all essential in order to bring the patient as a whole to their best state of health. Through this philosophy, I bring care to my patients in a compassionate and thoughtful way. Communication is the cornerstone of my practice. It is important to me to not only educate and update the patient in order to address their disease but to also communicate with their families.”
Conditions and procedures
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
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND HEALTH PARTNERS
Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CAREFIRST
Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
Carefirst EPO
CareFirst NASCO
CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
CareFirst Administrators
CareFirst MedStar PPO
Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
HealthyBlue PPO
- KAISER PERMANENTE
Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
Kaiser Medicare Plus
Virginia Premier
Kaiser Signature
Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
Kaiser Flexible Choice
Kaiser Select
Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- UNITED HEALTHCARE (UHC)
United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
United Choice
United Erickson Advantage Plans
United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
United Choice Plus
United MD IPA (HMO)
United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
United Select Plus (POS)
United Optimum Choice
UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
United AARP Medicare Complete
United Mamsi Life & Health
United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
United Student Resources
D-SNP)
I-SNP
United Core Essential (HMO)
United Golden Rule
United Navigate
United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- AETNA
Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
Aetna HMO
Innovation Health: POS
Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
Innovation Health: POS Plus
Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
Innovation Health: Open POS II
Aetna Student Health Insurance
Innovation Health: Indemnity
Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
Innovation Health: PPO
Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- CIGNA HEALTH CARE
Cigna Network Open Access
Cigna Choice Fund PPO
Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
Cigna Preferred Medicare
Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
Cigna HMO Open Access
Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
Cigna POS/Network POS
Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
Cigna EPO
Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
Cigna Indemnity
Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- MEDSTAR FAMILY CHOICE
MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- HUMANA MILITARY (TRICARE EAST)
Tricare for Life East
Tricare East Select
Tricare Reserve Select
Tricare East Prime
- HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (HSCSN)
Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- MEDICAID (MD, DC, VA)
Medicaid - Virginia
Medicaid - District of Columbia
Medicaid - Maryland
- JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTHCARE
Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- AMERIGROUP
Amerigroup DC Alliance
Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- WELLPOINT MARYLAND
WellPoint Maryland
- POLICE AND FIRE CLINIC (PFC, INC.)
Police and Fire Clinic
- AMERIHEALTH CARITAS DC
AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- MEDICARE
Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- VETERAN'S AFFAIRS COMMUNITE CARE NETWORK (VA CCN)
Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- HUMANA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
HumanaChoice PPO
HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, INC. (PHCS)
Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- CHOICE CARE NETWORK/HUMANA
Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- COVENTRY HEALTH NETWORK
Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
First Health PPO
Coventry Health Care of Virginia
Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND HEALTH PARTNERS
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, Surgery
Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Fellowship Program: University of Southern California (2007)
Residency Program: Temple University Hospital (2006)
Medical School: Hahnemann University (2001)