Joseph Clark Watson, MD| Neurosurgery, Neurological Surgery | MedStar Health
About me
A senior neurosurgeon and professor of Neurosurgery at Georgetown University, Dr. Watson leads the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Watson earned his Bachelor of Science at Stanford University and his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia (now V.C.U.) in Richmond. Dr. Watson was fellowship trained at the National Institutes of Health in pituitary surgery and cerebrovascular research/surgery. He brings the wisdom of “those pioneers in neurosurgery from both coasts who instructed me” to bear on his patients here at MGUH.
Clinical areas of focus
- Aneurysm
- Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
- Brain Tumor
- Meningioma
- Spine Tumor
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Acoustic Neuroma
- Acromegaly
- Aneurysm
- Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
- Benign Neoplasm Of Brain And Central Nervous System
- Brain Infections
- Brain Tumor
- Cavernous Malformations
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Chiari Malformation
- Colloid Cyst
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Craniopharyngioma
- Cushing Syndrome
- Head Injury
- Hemifacial Spasm
- Hydrocephalus
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Meninges
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Spinal Cord
- Meningioma
- Moyamoya Disease
- Nontraumatic Brain Hemorrhage
- Oligodendroglioma
- Secondary Malignant Neoplasm Of Brain
- Spinal Avm
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Disc Herniation
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Tumor
- Spondylolysis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Vascular Malformations Of The Brain
Procedures I perform
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy And Fusion (ACDF)
- Bifrontal Craniectomy
- Cerebellar Hemorrhage Evacuation
- Cerebellum Release
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Revision
- Cervical Corpectomy
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Nerve Release
- Cervical Spinal Cord Release
- Cervical Vertebral Disc Excision
- Craniectomy For Abscess
- Craniectomy For Hematoma Evacuation
- Craniectomy For Meningioma
- Cranioplasty
- Interbody Biomechanical Device Insertion
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Open Brain Release
- Open Cerebellum Release
- Proton Beam Radiosurgery
- Resection Of Thoracic Vertebral Disc
- Robotic Surgery
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Tumor Surgery
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Brain Tumors
- Stereotactic Spinal Procedure
- Thoracic Laminectomy
- Transsphenoidal Surgery
- Vertebral Corpectomy
- Vestibular Nerve Tumor Surgery
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
Pasquerilla Healthcare Center 6th Fl
Washington, DC, 20007
8230 Boone Ave
Ste 360
Vienna, VA, 22182
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 MedStar PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Tricare Reserve Select
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Medicare Direct
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- HighMark
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- TRICARE East Select
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Classic 3500
- OA Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- IH-POS
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- UHC Passport
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Network OA
- Police and Fire Clinic
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Sentara Health
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CareFirst EPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Core Essential (HMO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- POS OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Open HMO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- IH-PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Basic
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- IH-EPO Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Choice POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Student Resources
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-Indemnity
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Employee Health Plan
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Open POS II
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Medicare FFS
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Optimum Choice
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- First Health PPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- TRICARE East Prime
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Navigate
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CIGNA PPO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Neurological Surgery, Neurological Surgery
Fellowship: National Institutes of Health (1999)
Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University Neuroimaging Fellowship (1997)
Internship: VCU School of Medicine (1992)
Medical School: University of California San Diego (1991)
Awards
- Washingtonian Top Doc 2025