Rola Karam, MD
Specialties: Geriatrics
Gender: Female
Biography: Dr. Karam is an Associate Professor of Medicine, board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. As a geriatrician, she devotes her clinical time to serving the needs of older adults with multimorbidity, frailty, and cognitive impairment, with the goal of improving the health and quality of life of older adults using a shared decision-making model of patient-centered care. Her clinical responsibilities are mainly in the Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center clinic, where she evaluates and treat patients with cognitive complaints and dementia, and as a teaching attending on the Geriatric Medicine inpatient service. Her patient-centered research focuses on improving our understanding of risk factors for cognitive impairment and the clinical utility of imaging modalities to diagnose and treat patients with cognitive problems. She is currently a co-investigator and a cognitive status adjudicator in the PREVENTABLE study and a co-investigator in the New IDEAS study, and she uses her expertise to adjudicate cognitive status in two large cohorts, the MarkVCID Consortium and the privately funded UMMC MIND Center – Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.
Practice Locations
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1
UMMC Colony Park South
326 Commerce Center Drive, Ridgeland, MS 39157 View Location |
Accepted Insurance Plans
The University of Mississippi Medical Center accepts all plans, but may not be an in-network provider with your plan. We encourage you to contact your insurer and ask if the plan is in network with UMMC. Always contact your insurance carrier for specific coverage information.
Network Participation - 2026
MississippiCAN and CHIP [Managed Care programs promulgated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid]
- Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Inc.
- Magnolia Health (Centene)
- TrueCare
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace [Individual plans offered on healthcare.gov]
- Ambetter from Magnolia Health (Centene)
- Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Inc.
- UHC Marketplace (Madison only)
Medicare Advantage
- Devoted Health Plans: PPO, HMO, DSNP, CSNP
- HealthSpring Plans: PPO, HMO, DSNP
- Humana: PPO, HMO, DSNP, CSNP, ISNP
- United Healthcare Plans: PPO, HMO, DSNP, CSNP, ISNP
- WellCare (Centene) Plans: PPO, HMO, DSNP
Commercial - Group and Individual
- Aetna Plans: PPO, HMO [Includes all facilities except UMMC Madison]
- BCBSMS Plans: BlueCardPPO, State Health Plan (AHS), Federal Employee Plan (FEP)
- Cigna Plans: PPO, HMO
- United Healthcare Plans: PPO, HMO (Includes plans administered by UMR, UnitedHealth Group's wholly owned third-party administrator (TPA) subsidiary)
Transplant Only Networks
- Optum Plan: Commercial • Programs: Solid Organ, BMT, VAD
- Emerging Therapy Solutions (ETS) Plan: Commercial • Programs: Solid Organ, BMT, CAR-T, VAD
- Interlink Plan: Commercial • Programs: Solid Organ, BMT, CAR-T
- Celtic Plans: Ambetter, WellCare, Magnolia Health MississippiCAN, Magnolia Health CHIP • Programs: Solid Organ, BMT
- Cigna Lifesource Plan: Commercial • Programs: Solid Organ, BMT, CAR-T, VAD
Dental
- Avesis Plan: MississippiCAN and CHIP (TrueCare)
- Always Care/Unum Plan: Commercial
Vision
- Avesis Plan: MississippiCAN and CHIP (TrueCare)
- Always Care/Unum Plan: Commercial
Rental Networks (Utilized by self-funded employer group plans and third-party administrators (TPAs))
- Mississippi Physicians Care Network (MPCN) [If MPCN is present on a Member/Subscriber ID, all UMMC facilities and providers are in-network regardless of TPA.]
- First Choice Health Plan
- Claritev (formerly Multiplan)
- Zelis
Government Programs
- Humana Military Plan: Tricare
- United Healthcare Plan: Veterans Affairs Community Care Networks
Plans and Payors UMMC is not in-network with as of April 1, 2026
- Oscar Health Plan: ACA Marketplace [Final negotiations taking place now. Anticipate in-network participation, effective June 1, 2026.]
- Cigna (Connect EPO) Plan: ACA Marketplace
- American Health Advantage Plan: Medicare Advantage
- Patrius Health (BCBSMS) Plan: Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Plan: Medicare Advantage
Education
| Board Certification: | Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine; Internal Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine |
| Fellowship: | University of Mississippi Medical Center |
| Fellowship: | University of Mississippi Medical Center |
| Internship: | Hotel Dieu De France Hospital |
| Medical Education: | St. Joseph University |
| Residency: | University of Mississippi Medical Center |
| Residency: | Hotel Dieu De France Hospital |
Experience
Current Positions
| Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N State Street, MS 39216 | 2020 - Present |
Specialty Certification Licensure
| Certification, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Board Certification, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine | 11/2022 - Present |
| Licensure, Mississippi State Board Of Medical Licensure | 07/2020 - Present |
| Certification, Geriatrics Board Certification, American Geriatrics Society | 10/2020 - Present |
| Certification, Internal Medicine Board Certification, American College of Physicians/ Internal Medicine | 08/2019 - Present |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| Spirit of the Program Award, University of Mississippi Medical Center | 2018 |
| Best resident of the month, University of Mississippi Medical Center | 2017 |
| Highest score in the final exam of Internal Medicine Residency, Hotel Dieu De France | 2011 |