About me
Amie Hsia, MD, is a board-certified vascular neurologist and medical director of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Comprehensive Stroke Center, Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center, principal investigator of the NIH Stroke Program at MedStar Washington, and co-principal investigator of the NIH-funded StrokeNet regional coordinating center - Stroke Capital Area Network for Research (SCANR).
Dr. Hsia received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Duke University. She completed her neurology residency at Stanford University, where she also served as chief resident. She remained at Stanford for her fellowship training in stroke and neurocritical care.
Born and raised in the D.C. metropolitan area, Dr. Hsia returned to Washington for the opportunity to provide advanced stroke care to area residents. Dr. Hsia serves as an advocate of the Greater Washington Region American Heart and Stroke Association to support governmental policies related to stroke care. She is a founding member and was the first physician chair of the D.C. Stroke Collaborative, working to improve the level of stroke care through collaboration among the D.C. hospitals and EMS. With the NIH Stroke Program, she works on developing and evaluating acute stroke treatments with advanced neuroimaging.
To extend efforts beyond the D.C. boundaries, she spearheaded the development of a stroke telemedicine network, to provide emergency expert stroke consultation for hospitals in the surrounding communities using this technology, and to expand patient access to the opportunity to participate in ongoing clinical trials of acute stroke therapies.
Research:
Area: Acute Stroke – Use of Multimodal MRI
Developing and evaluating the effects of acute stroke treatments using multimodal MRI to optimize patient selection, increase understanding of stroke pathophysiology, and predict and improve outcomes.
Area: Acute Stroke – Systems of Care
Improving stroke systems of care within individual hospitals and across a community/region. Advance science and disseminate knowledge in acute stroke care delivery.
Area: Acute Stroke – Racial Disparities in Stroke Care
Evaluating and reducing the barriers to acute stroke treatment in underserved urban communities.
Clinical areas of focus
- Migraine
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Movements
- Brain Disorders
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Convulsions
- Epilepsy And Seizures
- Facial Nerve Disorder
- Gait And Balance Problems
- General Sensations And Perceptions
- Head Injury
- Headache
- Hydrocephalus
- Lack Of Coordination
- Migraine
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Transient Cerebral Ischemic Attacks
- Vestibular Disorders
Procedures I perform
- Acute Stroke Care
- Balance And Coordination Training
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Memory Loss Treatment
- Muscle Biopsy
- Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Seizure Treatment
- Stroke Care
- Stroke Management
- Transcranial Doppler
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
- OA Plus
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-Open POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna HMO
- TRICARE East Prime
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Employee Health Plan
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- POS OA
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Medicare FFS
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- IH-POS
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- Aetna Basic
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- HighMark
- IH-Open HMO Option
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Medicare Direct
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst EPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- First Health PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- IH-PPO
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- UHC Passport
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Choice Fund PPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Optimum Choice
- TRICARE for Life East
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- IH-Open HMO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Choice POS II
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- IH-Indemnity
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-POS Plus
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Core Essential (HMO)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Sentara Health
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Navigate
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CIGNA PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- First Health PPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- IH-HMO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
Videos
Education
Board Certification:
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (2004)
Residency: Stanford University School of Medicine (2002)
Internship: California Pacific Medical Center GME (1999)
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine (1998)
Awards
- NIH/NINDS Director’s Group Merit Award 2021: For outstanding collaboration and leadership in efforts to understand the mechanism of edema formation following cerebrovascular injury
- NIH/NINDS Director’s Group Merit Award 2020: For a continued commitment to provide outstanding NIH/NINDS Stroke clinical care despite challenges of COVID-19 pandemic
- Castle Connolly Exceptional Women in Medicine: 2017-2025, consecutively
- District of Columbia Hospital Association Commitment to Excellence Award 2016 Presented to the MWHC Comprehensive Stroke Center team for demonstrating commitment to providing leadership and support for patients, staff, and the hospital
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center Board of Directors Program Excellence Award 2015 Presented to the Comprehensive Stroke Center; one of 3 MedStar Washington programs awarded
- American Heart Association/American Stroke Association – Greater Washington Region Advocate of the Year Award 2014, 2015
- Castle Connolly Top Doctors: 2013-2025, consecutively
- District of Columbia Hospital Association Patient Safety Award 2010
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
“Picturing Stroke Recovery” (NIH blog, 2024)
Scientific American (2016): Stroke Study Sparks Call for Revamping Emergency Care Plan
NIH: A SMARTer approach to stroke care
Neurology Journal Podcast: June 16, 2015 issue: SMART Study
MedStar Washington Hospital Center Named Region’s First Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center
WTOP (2012): Stroke: The other cardiovascular disease
Washington Post (2011): Study in D.C. hospitals reveals disparity in stroke treatment for blacks
Complete list of published work in My Bibliography:
Select publications:
- Comparison of Hemorrhage on CT versus MRI After Thrombectomy: The HECATE study[Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology]
- ii. Post-ischemic hyperemia following endovascular therapy for acute stroke is associated with lesion growth[J Cereb Blood Flow Metab]
- Prevalence of Imaging Targets in Patients with Minor Stroke Selected for IV tPA Treatment Using MRI: The Treatment of Minor Stroke with MRI Evaluation Study (TIMES) [Neurology]
- Temporally distinct myeloid cell responses mediate damage and repair after cerebrovascular injury [Nature Neuroscience]
- Rapid ADC evolution after early revascularization: A potential marker of secondary injury? [Stroke]
- Intravenous thrombolysis in unwitnessed stroke onset: MR WITNESS trial results [Annals of Neurology]
- Building Better Systems for Stroke: The Time Is Now [JAMA Neurology]
- Effects of Increasing IV tPA-treated stroke mimic rates at CT-based centers on clinical outcomes [Neurology]
- Screening with MRI for Accurate and Rapid Stroke Treatment: SMART [Neurology]
- Negative Diffusion Weighted Imaging after IV tPA is rare and unlikely to indicate averted infarction [Stroke]
- Racial Disparities in tissue plasminogen activator treatment rate for stroke. A population-based study [Stroke]
- Understanding Reasons for Delay in Seeking Acute Stroke Care in an Underserved Urban Population [Stroke]