Alan Chen, MD| Gastroenterology | MedStar Health
About me
Alan Chen, MD is a gastroenterologist at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is skilled in evaluating and managing all general GI disorders, including but not limited to acid reflux (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), including diarrhea and constipation, peptic ulcer disease, GI bleeding, and colon cancer screening. He has a particular interest in COVID-19 and its effects on the GI tract.
Dr. Chen grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and went on to earn his undergraduate and medical degree from Duke University. He did his internal medicine residency at The Ohio State University and completed his Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Chen also trained at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center.
Dr. Chen is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and traveling. Dr. Chen is fluent in both English and Chinese
Clinical areas of focus
- Abdominal Bloating
- Abdominal Distention
- Abdominal Pain
- Abnormal Bowel Movement
- Abnormal Stool
- Altered Bowel Habits
- Anal Fissure
- Bleeding Hemorrhoids
- Blood In Stool
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Colonoscopy
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Dysphagia
- Epigastric Pain
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Helicobacter Pylori
- Hemorrhoids
- Melena
- Nausea
- Postprandial Diarrhea
- Rectal Bleeding
- Rectal Pain
- Stomach Cramps
- Stomach Pain
- Swallowing Problem
- Vomiting
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Bloating
- Abdominal Distention
- Abdominal Pain
- Abnormal Amylase Blood Test
- Abnormal Bowel Movement
- Abnormal Liver Function Blood Test
- Abnormal Stool
- Achalasia
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Alcoholic Liver Disease
- Allergic Esophagitis
- Altered Bowel Habits
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Fistula
- Anal Itching
- Anal Pain
- Anal Spasm
- Annular Pancreas
- Anorexia
- Appendiceal Cancer
- Autoimmune Enteropathy
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Barrett's Esophagus
- Benign Neoplasm Of Colon
- Biliary Tract Disease
- Bleeding Hemorrhoids
- Blood In Stool
- Bowel Dysmotility
- Bright Red Blood Per Rectum
- Celiac Disease
- Choking Sensation
- Cholangitis
- Cholecystitis
- Cholelithiasis
- Cholestasis
- Chronic Abdominal Pain
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- Cirrhosis
- Clostridium Difficile
- Colitis
- Collagenous Colitis
- Colonic Inertia
- Colonic Polyps
- Colorectal Malignancy
- Constipation
- Crohn's Disease
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- Diarrhea
- Digestive Disorders
- Diverticular Disease
- Diverticulitis
- Drug Induced Liver Injury
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Duodenitis
- Dyspepsia
- Dysphagia
- Early Satiety
- Elevated Alkaline Phosphatase Level
- Elevated Lipase
- Eosinophilic Colitis
- Eosinophilic Enteritis
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Eosinophilic Gastritis
- Epigastric Pain
- Eructation
- Esophageal Cancer
- Esophageal Disease
- Esophageal Diverticulum
- Esophageal Mass
- Esophageal Motility Disorders
- Esophageal Spasm
- Esophageal Stricture
- Esophageal Thickening
- Esophageal Ulcer
- Esophageal Varices
- Esophagitis
- Family History Of Colon Cancer
- Family History Of Colon Polyps
- Fatty Liver
- Fecal Impaction
- Fecal Incontinence
- Flatulence
- Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Gallbladder Disease
- Gallbladder Polyp
- Gastric Ulcer
- Gastritis
- Gastroenteritis
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Stromal Tumors
- Gastrointestinal Amyloid
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Gastrojejunal Ulcer
- Gastroparesis
- Giardiasis
- Gluten Sensitivity
- Helicobacter Pylori
- Hematemesis
- Hemochromatosis
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatomegaly
- Hiatal Hernia
- Ileitis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Intestinal Obstruction
- Intractable Vomiting
- Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Ischemic Bowel
- Ischemic Colitis
- Jaundice
- Lactose Intolerance
- Left Upper Quadrant Pain
- Liver Disease
- Liver Mass
- Lymphocytic Colitis
- Lynch Syndrome
- Malabsorption
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Stomach
- Melena
- Microscopic Colitis
- Motility Disorders
- Nausea
- Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
- Obstipation
- Obstructive Jaundice
- Odynophagia
- Ogilvie Syndrome
- Pancreas Divisum
- Pancreatic Cyst
- Pancreatic Insufficiency
- Pancreatic Pseudocyst
- Pancreaticobiliary Disease
- Pancreatitis
- Peptic Ulcer
- Peritonitis
- Pernicious Anemia
- Personal History Of Colonic Polyps
- Peutz Jeghers Syndrome
- Polyposis Syndrome
- Portal Hypertension
- Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy
- Positive Hemoccult Fecal Occult Blood Test
- Postprandial Diarrhea
- Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
- Proctitis
- Rectal Bleeding
- Rectal Cancer
- Rectal Pain
- Right Lower Quadrant Pain
- Right Upper Quadrant Pain
- Short Bowel Syndrome
- Small Bowel Disease
- Small Intestine Cancer
- Steatorrhea
- Stomach Cancer
- Stomach Cramps
- Stomach Disorders
- Stomach Pain
- Swallowing Problem
- Toxic Liver Injury
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Proctitis
- Vomiting
- Whipple's Disease
- Wilson's Disease
Procedures I perform
- Bravo PH Test
- Colon Polypectomy
- Colonoscopy
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
- Feeding Tube Management
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Screening
- Gastroscopy
- Peg (PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY)
- Proctosigmoidoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Single Balloon Enteroscopy
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
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO"
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CFBCBS EPO
- Aetna Better Health of Maryland
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- Open POS II
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Open EPO Plus
- Opoen HMO Option
- Open HMO
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- PPO and PPO Plus
- Cigna EPO
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Network OA
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- United Healthcare Choice
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Tricare Prime
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- First Health PPO
- CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- FIRST HEALTH
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology
Fellowship Program: University of Maryland Medical Center (2020)
Residency Program: Ohio State University Hospitals (2017)
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine (2014)