Samer Najjar, MD, is the Regional Chief of Cardiology for the Baltimore region. In this role, he has oversight over the following hospitals: MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, and MedStar Harbor Hospital. In addition, he oversees the MedStar Medical Group ambulatory cardiology practices.
Dr. Najjar is a cardiologist with subspecialty expertise in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. He is a Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and he co-chairs MedStar’s Cardiology Clinical Practice Council. He was most recently the director of the Advanced Heart Failure program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center where he oversaw its growth and development into one of the leading programs in the country.
Prior to joining MedStar Health, Dr. Najjar was an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University, where he served as director of the heart failure clinic at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He was also a member of the intramural NIH clinical research program, serving as the Head of the Human Cardiovascular Studies Unit at the National Institute on Aging.
Dr. Najjar completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He then completed his medical degree at Yale School of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Najjar completed his residency training in internal medicine and his fellowship training in cardiovascular diseases at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also completed subspecialty training in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. During his fellowship, he won the prestigious American College of Cardiology/Merck Research award.
Dr. Najjar specializes in state-of-the-art therapies for heart failure. His clinical interests include caring for patients with advanced heart failure, patients who have received an LVAD, and those who have undergone a heart transplant. Dr. Najjar is passionate about advancing the care of patients through research and innovation. Dr. Najjar has won numerous honors and awards. He is widely published, with over 130 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Najjar and his dedicated team provide a holistic approach to each patient and their caregiver. This often includes the involvement of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers with expertise in heart failure such as nurses, coordinators, nutritionists, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and symptom specialists.
When not pursuing his passion of caring for patients with cardiac conditions, Dr. Najjar enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and three kids.