About me
Joan Breece, RN, is a nurse practitioner who is board-certified in adult geriatrics and acute care at MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She specializes in tobacco cessation counseling and lung cancer screenings. She also is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence.
Joan’s approach to care centers on providing compassionate and comprehensive services. She begins by engaging in thoughtful conversations with patients to fully understand their conditions and empathetically address their concerns. For those who need lung cancer screenings, she thoroughly conducts physical examinations and clearly explains test results. For others who are in the Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Program, she offers evidence-based educational tools and medication management assistance to maximize treatment effectiveness and minimize side effects. In collaboration with experienced interventional pulmonologists, she supports patients during every step towards healthier and nicotine-free lives.
Joan is dedicated to raising awareness about the evolving criteria for lung cancer screenings among current and former smokers. One such screening is the low-dose CT scan – a safe, painless, and brief 10-minute procedure that captures detailed images of the lungs to detect nodules or abnormal growths. She also is passionate about new strategies to address the use of smokeless tobacco or vape pens. In addition to containing nicotine, these products are addictive and linked to cancer. Referring physicians should know that she is dedicated to keeping them well informed about their patients’ progress while delivering prompt and coordinated care.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s not always easy to get and stay healthy. When linked with tobacco-smoking habits, it can be even harder. That’s why I applaud patients – without judgement – throughout their journeys toward freedom from nicotine. And at every turn, I’m ready to help them identify actionable solutions to physical, social, and emotional barriers.”
Procedures I perform
- 12-Step Program
- Alcohol Detoxification
- Behavioral Activation
- Biofeedback
- Bioinformatics
- Case Management
- Clinical Decision Support
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment
- Depth Psychology
- Disease Prevention
- Executive Coaching
- Exposure And Response Prevention
- Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
- Functional Analytic Psychotherapy
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Grant Writing
- Grief Counseling
- Group Therapy
- Halfway House
- Health Information Exchange
- Humanistic Psychology
- Hypnotherapy
- Imaging Informatics
- Information Science
- Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Kinesiology
- Logotherapy
- Mental Performance Coaching
- Moderation Management
- Nonprofit Management
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- Relapse Prevention
- Relapse Prevention Therapy
- Somatic Experiencing
- Somatic Psychology
- Technical Writing
- Telehealth
- Telemedicine Treatment
- Teleradiology
- Transpersonal Psychology
- Utilization Review
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
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- HumanaChoice PPO
- POS OA
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- IH-EPO Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- First Health PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- TRICARE for Life East
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- IH-PPO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Choice POS
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- IH-Indemnity
- Medicare Direct
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- OA Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Navigate
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA Indemnity
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CIGNA PPO
- First Health PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- HighMark
- Medicare FFS
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Network OA
- Aetna HMO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- IH-Open POS II
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- IH-POS Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Police and Fire Clinic
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst NASCO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Employee Health Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- IH-Open POS Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Optimum Choice
- United Healthcare Choice
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst EPO
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- IH-POS
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Classic 5000
Education
Board Certification: American Nurses Credentialing Center
Graduate: George Mason University (1999)
Awards
- 2013 Nursing Excellence Award in Shared Decision Making-MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- The NP Role in the Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinic, GUMC Update, 2021
- Lung Cancer Screening Patients’ Perceptions of Their Abnormal Results: A Qualitative Study, presented at MedStar Health’s Annual Research Symposium, 2019
- Achieving Healthy Cancer Survivorship Through Integrated Tobacco Control: The Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Program, presented at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2020
- Achieving Healthy Cancer Survivorship Through Integrated Tobacco Control: Development of the Oncology Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinical Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, presented at MedStar Health’s Annual Research Symposium, 2018-2021
Philips JG, Cordon M, Lobo T, Friberg J, Breece CJ, Beplat M, Kim C, Veytsman I, Russell E, Cusaac L, Ahmed W, Ponder MC, Schilstra P, King L, Goswami D, Wheeley J, Taylor, KL. (2021). Achieving healthy cancer survivorship through integrated tobacco control: development of the oncology Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Clinical Program at MGUH and MWHC (2018-2021). Presented at the MedStar Annual Research Symposium, Washington DC.
Taylor KL, Fallon S, Subramaniam D, Davis KM, To C, Lobo T, Philips, J, Tercyak K, Friberg J, Tynan M, Russell E, Ahmed W, Ponder MC, Cusaac L, Thompson J, Gardner K, Breece J, Kim C, Weiner LM. (2020). Achieving healthy cancer survivorship through integrated tobacco control: The Smoking Treatment and Recovery (STAR) program. Presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, New Orleans LA.
Fallon S, Stephens J, Kim E, Eyestone E, Breece CJ, Anderson E, Taylor KL, and the LSTH Trial Team (2019). Lung cancer screening patients’ perceptions of their abnormal results: A qualitative study. Presented at the MedStar Annual Research Symposium, Washington DC.
2020-present Ongoing presentations to faculty, residents, and students in the Departments of
Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology on Lung Cancer Screening and
Smoking Cessation. Presentations given by Joan Breece, NP, Drs. Eric Anderson, Randi Williams, and Kathryn Taylor.