About me
As a Board-Certified and dual licensed Physician Assistant in the state of VA as well as DC I am responsible for managing, diagnosing, treating, and aiding in the preventative management of all MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute patients alongside my colleagues. I additionally provide education and outreach activities within the community.
My interest in public education/outreach has led me to chair the Liver Life Walk DC charity event in conjunction with the American Liver Foundation 2017-2020. This event has raised well over $100,000 for continued liver research with the goal to stomp out liver disease by 2030.
I further play a vital role in the Free Liver Screening program at MGTI of which brings hepatitis awareness to the public, screening those at risk for hepatitis linking them to point of care and treatment. This program attended the NBC 4 Health and Fitness Expo 2020 screening over 830 people. A new role I have taken on in 2021 is that of the chair to our APP Outreach and Wellness Counsel providing wellness to APPs within the MGTI community as well as outreach to the whole DMV community virtually through social media.
Furthermore, I remain actively involved in ongoing research protocols through the transplant institute. I am a current and upstanding member of the AAPA, AASLD, CLDF and GHAPP. I currently serving as the anchor provider within our Northern Virginia clinical office.
Clinical areas of focus
- Chronic Liver Disease
- Liver Failure
- Liver Metastases
- Liver Surgery
- Liver Transplant
- Living Donor Liver Transplant
- Metabolic Liver Disease
- Necrosis Of Liver
- Partial Hepatectomy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Chronic Liver Disease
- Cirrhosis
- Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis
- End Stage Liver Disease
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Hepatopulmonary Syndrome
- Liver Cancer
- Liver Failure
- Liver Metastases
- Metabolic Liver Disease
- Necrosis Of Liver
- Novel Coronavirus
- Portal Hypertension
- Portopulmonary Hypertension
Procedures I perform
- Cadaveric Transplant
- Combined Transplant (KIDNEY-LIVER)
- Heterotopic Liver Transplant
- Liver Surgery
- Liver Transplant
- Liver Transplant (HIV POSITIVE)
- Living Donor Liver Transplant
- Multi Organ Transplant
- Novel Coronavirus Testing
- Novel Coronavirus Vaccine
- Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Booster
- Organ Donation
- Partial Hepatectomy
- Pretransplant Clearance
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
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select (aka Senior Advantage)
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CFBCBS EPO
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- Open POS II
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Open EPO Plus
- Opoen HMO Option
- Open HMO
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- PPO and PPO Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Network OA
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- United Healthcare Choice
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
- FIRST HEALTH
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Tricare Prime
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Student Resources
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- First Health PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
Videos
Education
Allied Health Education: Daemen College (2010)
Awards
- Chair of the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute Advanced Practice Providers Outreach and Wellness Counsel Chair of the American Liver Foundation; Liver Life Walk, DC 2019 Presented by MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute 2018 Top Doctor Awards Chair of the American Liver Foundation; Liver Life Walk, DC 2018 Presented by MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute 2018 Inductee as Top Physician Assistant in Annandale, VA as part of The International Association of HealthCare Professionals Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Chair of the American Liver Foundation; Liver Life Walk, DC 2017 Presented by MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute 2013 4-star winner of “Talk of the Town” Excellence in Customer Satisfaction for Health Care and Medical Practices
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Pre-Treatment Education and Treatment Completion in Patients with Hepatitis C (HCV)
Treated with Boceprevir (BOC) or Telaprevir (TVR). November 2013. Lead Author:
Debbie Mercier (SLU) Senior Author: Joy Peter (UF)
Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6-mXVqKe5V0