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
Procedures I perform
- Cholecystectomy
- Duodenal Ulcer Surgery
- Exploratory Laparotomy
- Hernia Repair
- Splenectomy
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
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Carefirst EPO
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Cigna Network Open Access
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- Tricare for Life East
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- United Choice
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Tricare East Select
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- Aetna HMO
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Innovation Health: POS
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Virginia Premier
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- WellPoint Maryland
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Signature
- United Choice Plus
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Tricare East Prime
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- United Select Plus (POS)
- United Optimum Choice
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Student Resources
- D-SNP)
- Kaiser Select
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- I-SNP
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- United Golden Rule
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- United Navigate
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Cigna EPO
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Cigna Indemnity
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- First Health PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
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)