Nelson L. Bernardo, MD| Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology | MedStar Health
About me
Nelson L. Bernardo, MD, specializes in Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Bernardo is the medical director of the Peripheral Vascular Laboratory at MedStar Heart Institute. He is also the director for Peripheral Intervention at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at MedStar Research Institute. He is also the co-chair for cardiac peripheral vascular diseases.
In addition, Dr. Bernardo serves as an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia campus of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
Dr. Bernardo publishes extensively in his field. He lectures frequently at meetings and conferences, both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Bernardo was the clinical investigator or co-investigator in dozens of trials in the field of cardiology and cardiovascular disease. He is currently involved in a number of ongoing trials and clinical studies.
Dr. Bernardo is involved in peer review for numerous publications, including Angiology and Journal of Invasive Cardiology.
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Coronary Angiography With Cardiac Catheterization
- Coronary Angioplasty
- Heart Attack
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
- Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
- Stent Placement
- Transradial Catheterization
- Unstable Angina
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Angina
- Aortic Regurgitation
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Atherosclerosis
- Cardiac Arrest
- Coronary Artery Blockage
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Coronary Artery Spasm
- Heart Attack
- Heart Disease
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Thoracic Aortic Dissection
- Unstable Angina
- Varicose Veins Of Lower Extremities
- Vertebral Artery Stenosis
Procedures I perform
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortography
- Atherectomy
- Balloon Angioplasty
- Balloon Dilation
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Cardiac Sampling And Pressure Measurement
- Coronary Angiography With Cardiac Catheterization
- Coronary Angioplasty
- Coronary Artery Revascularization
- Coronary Thrombectomy
- Dilation Of Right Circumflex Artery With Balloon
- Endoluminal Imaging Of Coronary Vessel
- Endomyocardial Biopsy
- Endovascular Treatment
- Fragmentation Of Femoral Artery
- Heart Ultrasonography
- Intravascular Ultrasound
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
- Percutaneous Dilation Of Common Iliac Artery
- Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty
- Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
- Percutaneous Transluminal Revascularization
- Radial Artery Dilation
- Septal Ablation
- Stent Placement
- Stenting Of Left Main Coronary Artery
- Stenting Of Right Coronary Artery
- Temporary Transcutaneous Pacing
- Transradial Catheterization
- Venous Closure Device Placement
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.
-
List of insurance plans we accept
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- HighMark
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Choice POS II
- TRICARE East Prime
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- TRICARE for Life East
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Tricare Reserve Select
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Choice POS
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- IH-POS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Employee Health Plan
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United Student Resources
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna HMO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Medicare FFS
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst Administrators
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Sentara Health
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Beech Street PPO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-POS Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Navigate
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- OA Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- UHC Passport
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst EPO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- IH-PPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- BlueChoice Open Access
- IH-Open HMO Option
- TRICARE East Select
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Network OA
- CIGNA PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open HMO
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- IH-Indemnity
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna VA Exchange
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- IH-EPO Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- United Healthcare Choice
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
Education
Fellowship: Virginia Commonwealth University (1999)
Fellowship: Virginia Commonwealth University (1998)
Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (1995)
Internship: Medstar-Washington Hospital Center (1992)
Medical School: University Of The East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (1986)
Awards
- Washingtonian Top Doc 2025