About me
Joan Breece, RN, is a nurse practitioner who is board-certified in adult geriatrics and acute care at MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She specializes in tobacco cessation counseling and lung cancer screenings. She also is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence.
Joan’s approach to care centers on providing compassionate and comprehensive services. She begins by engaging in thoughtful conversations with patients to fully understand their conditions and empathetically address their concerns. For those who need lung cancer screenings, she thoroughly conducts physical examinations and clearly explains test results. For others who are in the Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Program, she offers evidence-based educational tools and medication management assistance to maximize treatment effectiveness and minimize side effects. In collaboration with experienced interventional pulmonologists, she supports patients during every step towards healthier and nicotine-free lives.
Joan is dedicated to raising awareness about the evolving criteria for lung cancer screenings among current and former smokers. One such screening is the low-dose CT scan – a safe, painless, and brief 10-minute procedure that captures detailed images of the lungs to detect nodules or abnormal growths. She also is passionate about new strategies to address the use of smokeless tobacco or vape pens. In addition to containing nicotine, these products are addictive and linked to cancer. Referring physicians should know that she is dedicated to keeping them well informed about their patients’ progress while delivering prompt and coordinated care.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s not always easy to get and stay healthy. When linked with tobacco-smoking habits, it can be even harder. That’s why I applaud patients – without judgement – throughout their journeys toward freedom from nicotine. And at every turn, I’m ready to help them identify actionable solutions to physical, social, and emotional barriers.”
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Clinical Decision Support
- Disease Prevention
- Telehealth
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
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Beech Street PPO
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- OA Plus
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Navigate
- Medicare FFS
- IH-EPO Plus
- UHC Passport
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Employee Health Plan
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- United Student Resources
- BlueChoice Open Access
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst EPO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Sentara Health
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- IH-POS Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- POS OA
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- HighMark
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- IH-Open POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- First Health PPO
- Optimum Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Choice POS
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CIGNA EPO
- First Health PPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- IH-PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst NASCO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Network OA
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CIGNA Indemnity
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Choice POS II
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Graduate: George Mason University (1999)
Awards
- 2013 Nursing Excellence Award in Shared Decision Making-MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- The NP Role in the Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinic, GUMC Update, 2021
- Lung Cancer Screening Patients’ Perceptions of Their Abnormal Results: A Qualitative Study, presented at MedStar Health’s Annual Research Symposium, 2019
- Achieving Healthy Cancer Survivorship Through Integrated Tobacco Control: The Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Program, presented at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2020
- Achieving Healthy Cancer Survivorship Through Integrated Tobacco Control: Development of the Oncology Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinical Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, presented at MedStar Health’s Annual Research Symposium, 2018-2021
Philips JG, Cordon M, Lobo T, Friberg J, Breece CJ, Beplat M, Kim C, Veytsman I, Russell E, Cusaac L, Ahmed W, Ponder MC, Schilstra P, King L, Goswami D, Wheeley J, Taylor, KL. (2021). Achieving healthy cancer survivorship through integrated tobacco control: development of the oncology Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinical Program at MGUH and MWHC (2018-2021). Presented at the MedStar Annual Research Symposium, Washington DC.
Taylor KL, Fallon S, Subramaniam D, Davis KM, To C, Lobo T, Philips, J, Tercyak K, Friberg J, Tynan M, Russell E, Ahmed W, Ponder MC, Cusaac L, Thompson J, Gardner K, Breece J, Kim C, Weiner LM. (2020). Achieving healthy cancer survivorship through integrated tobacco control: The Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) program. Presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, New Orleans LA.
Fallon S, Stephens J, Kim E, Eyestone E, Breece CJ, Anderson E, Taylor KL, and the LSTH Trial Team (2019). Lung cancer screening patients’ perceptions of their abnormal results: A qualitative study. Presented at the MedStar Annual Research Symposium, Washington DC.
2020-present Ongoing presentations to faculty, residents, and students in the Departments of
Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology on Lung Cancer Screening and
Smoking Cessation. Presentations given by Joan Breece, NP, Drs. Eric Anderson, Randi Williams, and Kathryn Taylor.
