About me
John Conte, MD, is a highly experienced and accomplished cardiovascular surgeon at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital with over 30 years of experience. He is known for his expertise in treating aortic, coronary artery, and heart valve disease, often performing complex and re-operative surgeries.
A pioneer in his field, Dr. Conte was the first in Pennsylvania to use the HAART aortic valve ring, which is now commonly used. Additionally, he contributed to an early body of research that led to technologies like artificial hearts and heart pumps. A strong advocate of the safe integration of new technologies, he firmly believes it is a physician's responsibility to help clients navigate the world of developing technologies to determine the best option for their clinical situation and long-term health goals.
A strong advocate for the safe integration of new technologies, Dr. Conte firmly believes it is a physician's responsibility to help clients navigate the world of developing technologies to determine the best option for their clinical situation and their long-term health goals. He pays close attention to evolving technologies that will allow surgeons to do less invasive valve repairs and replacements and incorporates them into his clinical practice.
Dedicated to advancing cardiovascular knowledge and improving outcomes, Dr. Conte was integral in founding the Maryland Cardiac Surgery Quality Initiative (MCSQI) and served as its first president. The MCSQI’s mission is to bring surgeons from across the state together to share, review, and analyze data to improve patient outcomes and lower patient surgery costs. This organization focuses on collaboration versus competition and is moving the needle to ensure that every patient in Maryland receives the best care possible, regardless of location or means.
Dr. Conte completed his medical training and residency in general surgery at Georgetown University, followed by fellowship training in cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University. His professional career began at the University of Maryland in 1995, where he held leadership positions. Later, he spent 20 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital before assuming the role of Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vice Chair of the Geisinger Heart Institute in 2020.
Throughout his long career, Dr. Conte has belonged to and held leadership positions in all the major cardiological society organizations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the American College of Cardiology. He has received numerous honors and awards, including a Meritorious Achievement Award in 2019 from the Maryland Cardiac Surgery Qualitative Initiative.
Philosophy of Care
“After decades of being away from Maryland, I am excited to return to my home where it all started. As an experienced practitioner, I look forward to being a part of a fantastic team of physicians who are dedicated to building and developing the program at MedStar Health.
“Once I take on a patient, I do everything possible to ensure they have the best shot possible to heal and recover. I want my patients to know that I am experienced, and more importantly, I will do what is best for them, no matter what.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Aortic Root Replacement
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Bentall Procedure
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Mitral Valve Repair
Procedures I perform
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
- Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Aneurysm Repair
- Angioplasty
- Aortic Root Replacement
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Artery Bone Graft Harvest
- Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
- Automated External Defibrillator
- Bentall Procedure
- Cardiac Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiac Ablation For Ventricular Tachycardia
- Cardiac Cardioversion
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Cardiac Myxoma Excision
- Cardiac Output Assistance
- Cardiac Output Monitoring
- Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
- Cardiac Rhythm Monitoring
- Cardiac Surgery For Cardiac Tumors
- Cardiac Surgery For Congenital Heart Disease
- Cardiac Surgery For Heart Transplantation
- Cardiac Surgery For Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiopulmonary Bypass
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Cardioversion
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Device Implantation For Heart Failure
- Electrocardiogram
- Endoscopy With Vein Harvest
- Event Monitoring
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Heart Transplant
- Heart Ultrasonography
- Holter Monitoring
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Treatment
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Interrogation
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Optimization
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement
- Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Insertion
- Intraaortic Balloon Pump Placement
- Intraoperative Echocardiography
- Laparoscopic Revision Of Gastric Restrictive Procedure
- Maze Procedure For Atrial Fibrillation
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Mobile Cardiac Telemetry
- Mons Filler
- Pacemaker Interrogation
- Pacemaker Reprogramming
- Pericardial Window Creation
- Pillar Procedure
- Pregnancy-Related Cardiac Arrest
- Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy
- Pulmonary Valve Replacement
- Stenting Of An Artery
- Surgical Treatment Of Cardiac Tamponade
- Thoracic Aneurysm Repair
- Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Transesophageal Echocardiography
- Transplant Pneumonectomy
- Transthoracic Echocardiography
- Tricuspid Valve Repair
- Valvuloplasty
- Venous Closure Device Placement
- Ventricular Restoration
- Wheat Procedure
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
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Medicare Direct
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Beech Street PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst EPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CIGNA PPO
- United Student Resources
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Choice Fund PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Choice POS
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- HighMark
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Classic 3500
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-Open POS II
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna VA Exchange
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Employee Health Plan
- CareFirst NASCO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Aetna Classic 5000
- IH-POS Plus
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Blue Choice Advantage
- First Health PPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-PPO
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Sentara Health
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Navigate
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna HMO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- Optimum Choice
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- IH-EPO Plus
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA Indemnity
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Administrators
- OA Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Medicare FFS
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Network OA
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- POS OA
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- MultiPlan, Inc
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Residency: Stanford University Hospitals & Clinics GME (1995)
Residency: Georgetown University School of Medicine GME (1992)
Medical School: Georgetown University (1986)