About me
Dr. Steve Epstein is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry of the Georgetown University School of Medicine and Chief of Service of the Department of Psychiatry of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He is also Physician Executive Director for Behavioral Health for MedStar Health, a non-profit healthcare organization that includes ten hospitals in DC and Maryland. In this role, he oversees physician recruitment, strategic planning, and quality improvement in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After completing a residency in psychiatry at Tufts-New England Medical Center, he was a fellow in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital. From 1990 to 2000 he directed Georgetown’s Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry service and he became department chair in 2001. He currently directs the Physician Health Committee for the MedStar Health system.
Dr. Epstein has conducted NIH-funded research and published extensively in the area of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. In 2001, he was awarded an RO1 grant from NIMH to study primary care physicians’ decision-making in the evaluation and treatment of depression. He has also been principal investigator on two other NIMH grants in this area. He has been the recipient of four teaching awards from Georgetown psychiatry residents. In 2011 he was elected by his peers to the MAGIS Society of Masters Teachers of the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
In 2016 Dr. Epstein served as President of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, the 1400 member national organization for Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. He recently ended his term as Vice Chair of the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Committee of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In July 2015, he was appointed to a six-year term as a member of the Psychiatry Review Committee for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. For the past seven years he has been a visiting Professor at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.
Clinical areas of focus
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Depression Treatment
- Mood Disorder Treatment
- Psychopharmacology
- Psychotherapy
- Suicidal Ideation Treatment
- Women's Mental Health Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Adjustment Disorder
- Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Agoraphobia
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Amphetamine Addiction
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Anxiety
- Appearance And Behavior Symptoms
- Bipolar Disorder
- Chronic Depression
- Cocaine Related Disorders
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Conduct Disorders
- Degenerative Diseases Of Nervous System
- Dementia
- Depersonalization Disorder
- Depression
- Depressive Episode
- Eating Disorders
- Emotional Disorders
- Emotional Disturbance
- Emotional State Symptoms
- Gallbladder Disease
- General Sensations And Perceptions
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Late Stage Syphilis
- Mental Health Conditions
- Mood Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Attacks
- Phobia
- Psychosis
- Psychotic Disorder
- Reaction To Stress And Adjustment Disorders In Children
- Respiratory Disorders
- Schizoid Personality Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Sedative Use Disorder
- Sedative, Hypnotic, Or Anxiolytic Related Disorders
- Sleep Disorders
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Somatoform Disorder
- Suicidal Thought
- Trauma
Procedures I perform
- Adjustment Disorder Treatment
- Alcohol Abuse Counseling
- Anxiety Disorder Treatment
- Anxiety Management
- Behavioral Activation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Depression Treatment
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
- Existential Group Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
- Graston Technique
- Grief Counseling
- Group Therapy
- Health Promotion Counseling
- Hypnotherapy
- Mental Health Assessment
- Mood Disorder Treatment
- Motivational Interviewing
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment
- Pain Medication Management
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment
- Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services
- Psychiatric Evaluation
- Psychopharmacology
- Psychotherapy
- Schizophrenia Treatment
- Suicidal Ideation Treatment
- Suicide Intervention
- Supportive Care
- Women's Mental Health Treatment
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
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- IH-HMO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- OA Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Choice
- Navigate
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- POS OA
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- IH-EPO Plus
- CIGNA PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CIGNA EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- IH-Indemnity
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- United Student Resources
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- Choice POS
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna HMO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- TRICARE East Select
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- HealthyBlue PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-POS
- IH-PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- IH-Open POS II
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- HighMark
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Basic
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- First Health PPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Beech Street PPO
- Optimum Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Medicare FFS
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Sentara Health
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- TRICARE East Prime
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CareFirst EPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- TRICARE for Life East
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurology
Fellowship: Georgetown University Medical Center GME (1990)
Residency: Tufts Medical Center (1989)
Internship: Tufts Medical Center (1986)
Medical School: Perelman School Of Medicine At The University Of Pennsylvania (1985)