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
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Choice POS
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Medicare FFS
- CareFirst Administrators
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna VA Exchange
- OA Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-POS
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-PPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- TRICARE for Life East
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- IH-HMO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst EPO
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Tricare Reserve Select
- United Student Resources
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Medicare Direct
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Choice Fund PPO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA PPO
- First Health PPO
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- First Health PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Network OA
- Sentara Health
- IH-POS Plus
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- HighMark
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Healthcare Choice
- Beech Street PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Choice POS II
- IH-Open POS II
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- IH-EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Core Essential (HMO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Navigate
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- UHC Passport
Education
Board Certification: American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Graduate: Purdue University Global (2021)