About me
James Brennan Spies, MD, is professor and chair in the Department of Radiology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. After attending Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Spies completed a radiology residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and a fellowship at New York University School of Medicine in vascular and interventional radiology. He also has received a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Spies served four years in the United States Air Force. After military service, he was in private practice for several years before joining the faculty of Georgetown University in 1997. He has served as chair of the Department of Radiology since 2005.
He has an active practice in uterine embolization for fibroids. He also treats women with adenomyosis, post-partum hemorrhage, and pelvic venous disease and also varicocele in men.
He has performed extensive research in uterine embolization and is recognized as an international authority on the procedure. He has more than 160 published scientific studies, given over 400 invited presentations, and has edited a text on uterine embolization. He continues to actively research uterine embolization and the comparative outcomes for fibroid therapies.
Dr. Spies is a Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and the American College of Radiology (ACR) and has also been named a Distinguished Fellow of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe and Honorary Fellow of the British Society of Interventional Radiology. He has served on numerous national committees for both SIR and ACR and is past president of the Society of Interventional Radiology, the largest interventional radiology professional organization in the U.S. In 2019 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the SIR, its highest award, recognizing his extensive contributions to the field and for his national leadership in the organization.
My Philosophy of Care
I believe in a collaborative approach to patient care, actively involving the patient and the patient's other physicians. I believe that a well-informed patient is best able to participate in that process. I strive to ensure that patients have all the information they need to choose the medical approach best suited to them and the opportunity to fully discuss their options.
Clinical areas of focus
- Dialysis
- Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Neobladder Creation
- Portosystemic Shunt
- Stent Placement
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Dialysis Access Creation And Maintenance
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
- Postpartum Hemorrhage
- Renal Artery Thrombosis
- Superior Vena Cava Obstruction
- Testicular Varicocele
- Testicular Varicocele Embolization
- Thoracic Aortic Dissection
- Uterine Adenomyosis
- Uterine Fibroid Embolization
- Uterine Fibroids
- Varicose Veins Of Lower Extremities
- Vascular Malformation
- Vascular Stenosis
- Vena Cava Filter Placement
Procedures I perform
- Artificial Liver Therapy
- Bland Embolization
- Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection
- Cervical Facet Joint Injection
- Coronary Thrombectomy
- Cryoablation Of Liver Tumors
- Cystometrogram
- Dialysis
- Embolization For Bleeding
- Embolization Of Venous Malformations
- Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Float Therapy
- Gastrointestinal Tube Placement
- Gonadal Vein Embolization
- Incision And Removal Of Foreign Body
- Ligament Augmentation
- Liver Tumor Ablation
- Mesenteric Angiography
- Neobladder Creation
- Nerve Block
- Pec Implants
- Pelvic Vein Embolization
- Percutaneous Cholecystostomy
- Percutaneous Fetal Atrial Septostomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation Of Uterine Fibroids
- Percutaneous Sclerotherapy Of Varicose Veins
- Percutaneous Treatment Of Spider Veins
- Percutaneous Tumor Chemoembolization
- Portosystemic Shunt
- Radiation Therapy
- Radioembolization Of Breast Cancer
- Radiofrequency Thermoablation
- Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Cystectomy For Bladder Cancer
- Sclerotherapy With Sotradecol
- Stent Placement
- Stenting Of An Artery
- Stereotactic Radiation Therapy For Endocrine Tumors
- Sympathectomy
- Total Proctocolectomy
- Transarterial Embolization
- Uterine Artery Embolization
- Uterine Fibroid Embolization
- Varicocele Embolization
- Vein Sclerotherapy
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
201 E University Pkwy MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Baltimore, MD, 21218
410-554-2728Fax 410-554-2584
5601 Loch Raven Blvd MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore, MD, 21239
443-444-2430Fax 443-444-4656
106 Irving St NW MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC, 20010
202-877-9729Fax 301-209-5616
18101 Prince Phillip Dr MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney, MD, 20832
301-774-8650miles away
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
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CareFirst Administrators
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Optimum Choice
- Tricare Reserve Select
- IH-HMO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Student Resources
- OA Plus
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Choice POS II
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- POS OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- IH-EPO Plus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Medicare Direct
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- UHC Passport
- Choice POS
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Sentara Health
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CareFirst EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CareFirst NASCO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- HighMark
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-Open POS II
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- United Healthcare Choice
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Employee Health Plan
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Beech Street PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Medicare FFS
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- MultiPlan, Inc
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Navigate
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- CIGNA EPO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Network OA
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- First Health PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Basic
- Police and Fire Clinic
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Radiology, Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology
Fellowship: New York University School of Medicine (1985)
Residency: University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine (1984)
Internship: California Pacific Medical Center (1981)
Medical School: Georgetown University Medical Center (1980)