Heather Tennyson, FNP| Gastroenterology | MedStar Health
About me
Heather Tennyson is a certified nurse practitioner specializing in gastroenterology at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, where she first started working as a nursing technician while attending college. She earned her Associate of Science in Nursing degree from the College of Southern Maryland and became a registered nurse supporting the MedStar St. Mary’s Telemetry and Emergency Departments for seven years, followed by 10 years at a local surgery center. While working and raising her children, Heather received her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Nursing from University of Maryland Global Campus and Purdue Global University, respectively.
In addition to a wide variety of gastrointestinal illnesses, Heather has extensive interest in treating acute and chronic diseases including irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and functional gastrointestinal disorders. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Gastroenterological Association.
Heather, a native of St. Mary’s County, lives in Tall Timbers, Maryland, with her partner, three children, and Shih Tzu. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and putting together jigsaw puzzles.
"Every patient and their family are different, with their own unique needs. My goal is to design an individual treatment plan to help every one of my patients achieve the best possible outcome."
Clinical areas of focus
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Gastric Cancer
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) In Children
- Helicobacter Pylori Stool Test
- Pancreatitis
- Stent Placement
- Transrectal Ultrasound
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Pain
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Alimentary Tract Foreign Body
- Anal Fissures
- Anus And Rectum Diseases
- Aphagia And Dysphagia
- Appendiceal Cancer
- Benign Neoplasm Of Colon, Rectum, Anus And Anal Canal
- Biliary Tract Disease
- Biliary Tract Obstruction
- Bowel Obstruction
- Choledocholithiasis
- Colitis
- Colon Disease
- Colon Polyp
- Colon Polyps
- Colorectal Malignancy
- Constipation
- Crohn's Disease
- Crohn's Disease [Regional Enteritis]
- Diaphragmatic Hernia
- Digestive System Diseases
- Digestive System Symptoms
- Diseases Of Esophagus
- Diseases Of Stomach And Duodenum
- Diverticular Disease
- Duodenitis
- Dysphagia
- Esophageal Cancer
- Esophageal Stricture
- Esophagitis
- Flatulence
- Functional Dyspepsia
- Functional Intestinal Disorders
- Gastric Cancer
- Gastritis
- Gastroenteritis
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) In Children
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding And Rectal Bleeding
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
- H. Pylori Infection
- Helicobacter Pylori
- Hemangioma
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatomegaly And Splenomegaly
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) With Infection
- Intestinal Infections
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Liver Cirrhosis
- Liver Encephalopathy
- Malabsorption
- Malignant Neuroendocrine Tumors
- Noninfective Gastroenteritis
- Pancreatic Diseases
- Pancreatitis
- Paralytic Ileus And Intestinal Obstruction
- Perianal Fistula
- Perianal Itching
- Peripheral Vascular Disease Of The Intestines
- Polycystic Liver Disease
- Stomach Cancer
- Stomach Diseases
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Viral Hepatitis
Procedures I perform
- Bleeding Ulcer Treatment
- Colonoscopy
- Endoscopic Clip Placement
- Ercp With Stone Extraction
- Fecal Microbiota Transplant
- Gastric Manometry
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Infection Diagnosis
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention
- Gastrointestinal Care
- Gastrointestinal Complications Of Diabetes Treatment
- Gastrointestinal Consultation
- Gastrointestinal Disease Prevention
- Gastrointestinal Disease Screening
- Gastrointestinal Evaluation
- Gastrointestinal Foreign Body Removal
- Gastrointestinal Functional Disorder Treatment
- Gastrointestinal Health Maintenance
- Gastrointestinal Infection Treatment
- Gastrointestinal Intervention
- Gastrointestinal Management
- Gastrointestinal Motility Study
- Gastrointestinal Therapy
- Gastrointestinal Tube Placement
- Gastrointestinal Wellness
- Helicobacter Pylori Stool Test
- Hydrogen Breath Test
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Liver Disease Consultation
- Pancreatitis Treatment
- Rectal Stricture Dilation
- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) Testing
- Stent Placement
- Transrectal Ultrasound
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
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- IH-POS
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- MultiPlan, Inc
- TRICARE East Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Choice Fund PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst NASCO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- HighMark
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Medicare FFS
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Navigate
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Beech Street PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- POS OA
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Medicare Direct
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Tricare Reserve Select
- OA Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Sentara Health
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- United Healthcare Choice
- CIGNA PPO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Choice POS II
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Aetna Basic
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- First Health PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open POS II
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst EPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- TRICARE for Life East
- Network OA
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA EPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- IH-Indemnity
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Choice POS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Employee Health Plan
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- IH-Open HMO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
Education
Board Certification: American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Graduate: Purdue University Global (2021)