About me
Priyanka Sabharwal, MD, PhD, is an attending neurologist and epilepsy specialist affiliated with MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Sabharwal specializes in treating patients with epilepsy, seizure disorders, concussions, and traumatic brain injury.
Her treatment methods revolve around a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach towards the care of patients with epilepsy. She believes in comprehensive epilepsy care that encompasses the use of medications, dietary therapies such as the ketogenic diet (proven to reduce the frequency of seizures in patients with epilepsy), medications, integrative therapies, surgical approaches, and electrical brain stimulation. For complex patients with epilepsy, Dr. Sabharwal also offers novel neuromodulation therapies including the vagal nerve stimulator, and responsive neurostimulation. For these devices, she works with a multi-disciplinary team, including neurosurgeons, neuropsychiatrists, neuropsychologists, nurse practitioners, and dieticians.
Her clinical interests include epilepsy, seizures, concussions, traumatic brain injury, care of women with epilepsy, and the transition of care of pediatric epilepsy patients to adult epilepsy care. In current times, children with childhood epilepsy are living longer, and at times have complex and challenging needs. Dr. Sabharwal is dedicated to identifying and addressing gaps in the transition of care to ensure that pediatric epilepsy patients who are at risk of poor transition can be identified early, in turn promoting uninterrupted and adequate care for this vulnerable population.
Her research interests include refractory epilepsy (surgical care of people with epilepsy), women with epilepsy, and raising awareness of SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients). During her PhD work, Dr. Sabharwal researched mechanisms that control neuronal diversity in the nervous system. She showed that GDE2, a six-transmembrane protein, was important for generation of force-generating alpha motor neurons in the nervous system, in turn establishing GDE2 as a key regulator of motor neuron diversity.
Dr. Sabharwal received her medical degree from King George Medical College in India. She then pursued a PhD in Neurosciences from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she studied neurogenesis during the formation of the nervous system. She then joined New York University School of Medicine to pursue a three-year neurology residency, where she served as Chief Resident, followed by a one-year sub-specialty fellowship in neurophysiology and a one-year sub-specialty fellowship in epilepsy.
She is a member of the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. She is the recipient of America’s Top Physicians (2017), awarded by the Consumer Research Council of America.
Philosophy of Care
“To me, my patients’ health is personal. Epilepsy and other neurological disorders can affect every single aspect of someone’s life and can place them in a very vulnerable position. They need someone they can trust, and I am that person.
“The foundation of my practice is compassion. Most of my patients come to me with a condition that is very challenging. I am by my patients’ side throughout the entire experience. I listen to their concerns, and ask meaningful questions in order to understand their life goals. Most importantly, I communicate clearly and openly with them, so that they fully understand the reality of their diagnosis.
“With honesty and transparency, I build trust with my patients so that I can provide them care in the best way possible.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Atonic Epilepsy Treatment
- Electroencephalogram
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring
- Seizure Treatment
- Sports Injury Treatment
- Traumatic Brain Injury Therapy
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Body Structure Imaging
- Abnormal Function Study Results
- Abnormal Movements
- Abnormal Mri
- Anxiety
- Aphagia And Dysphagia
- Artery Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Blindness And Low Vision
- Bone Density Disorder
- Brain Disorders
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Chromosome Abnormalities
- Cocaine Related Disorders
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Conductive Hearing Loss
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Congenital Malformations Of Nervous System
- Convulsions
- Degenerative Diseases Of Nervous System
- Demyelinating Diseases Of Central Nervous System
- Disorders Of Autonomic Nervous System
- Disorders Of Trigeminal Nerve
- Disturbances Of Skin Sensation
- Dorsalgia
- Dorsopathies
- Dyslexia And Symbolic Dysfunctions
- Dystonia
- Early Complications Of Trauma
- Emotional Disorders
- Encephalitis, Myelitis And Encephalomyelitis
- Epilepsy
- Epilepsy And Seizures
- Extrapyramidal And Movement Disorders
- Eye And Adnexa Disorders
- Eyelid Disorders
- Facial Nerve Disorder
- Family History Of Malignant Neoplasm
- Fractures Of The Neck
- Gait And Balance Problems
- General Sensations And Perceptions
- Head Injury
- Headache
- Hemangioma
- Hereditary Ataxia
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypotension
- Idiopathic Neuropathy
- Inflammatory Polyneuropathy
- Lack Of Coordination
- Long Term Drug Therapy
- Lower Leg Injury
- Maternal Diseases
- Meningitis
- Middle Ear Disorders
- Migraine
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Muscle Disorders
- Myoneural Disorders
- Myopathies
- Neck Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury
- Nerve Root Disorders
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Nonpsychotic Mental Disorder
- Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Nystagmus
- Otalgia And Ear Effusion
- Paralytic Strabismus
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Paraplegia And Quadriplegia
- Parkinson's Disease
- Personal History Of Diseases And Conditions
- Phakomatoses
- Postprocedural States
- Precerebral Artery Occlusion
- Psychotic Disorder
- Sarcoidosis
- Scoliosis
- Secondary Malignant Neoplasm Of Brain
- Secondary Parkinsonism
- Sleep Disorders
- Somnolence, Stupor And Coma
- Speech Disturbances
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy And Related Syndromes
- Subcortical Infarction
- Tic Disorder
- Transient Cerebral Ischemic Attacks
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Vascular Malformations Of The Brain
- Vestibular Disorders
- Vision Disturbances
- Vitamin Deficiency
- Voice And Resonance Disorders
- Zoster
Procedures I perform
- Blood Gas Analysis
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation
- Brain Wave Testing
- Central Nervous Electrical Activity Monitoring
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Cranial Ultrasonography
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Duplex Scan Of Upper Extremity Arteries
- Dystonia Treatment
- Eeg Monitoring
- Electroencephalogram
- Electroencephalogram Review
- Electromyography
- Epilepsy Education
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Flash Electroretinography
- Functional Mri
- Inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring
- Intraoperative Brain Mapping
- Lumbar Puncture
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Measurement Of Central Nervous Electrical Activity
- Median Nerve Conduction Studies
- Neuromuscular Monitoring
- Neuromuscular Reeducation For Muscle Control
- Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
- Neuromuscular Testing
- Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation
- Polysomnography
- Pulmonary Exercise Testing
- Seizure Treatment
- Soft Tissue Neck Ct Without Contrast
- Somatosensory Evoked Potentials
- Speech Therapy
- Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
- Sports Injury Treatment
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Transplant Evaluation
- Trauma Outreach
- Traumatic Brain Injury Therapy
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation
- Vocal Cord Nodule 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
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Beech Street PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- IH-EPO Plus
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- First Health PPO
- TRICARE East Prime
- Choice POS
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- IH-POS Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- TRICARE East Select
- POS OA
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst NASCO
- First Health PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Network OA
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Choice POS II
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst EPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- HighMark
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CIGNA PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- IH-Indemnity
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Navigate
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- UHC Passport
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- TRICARE for Life East
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna HMO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Sentara Health
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Medicare FFS
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst Administrators
- United Student Resources
- CIGNA EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Choice Fund PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- IH-PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna VA Exchange
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Employee Health Plan
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- HealthyBlue PPO
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurology
Fellowship: New York University School of Medicine (2017)
Graduate: New York University Medical Center (2017)
Fellowship: New York University School of Medicine (2016)
Graduate: New York University Medical Center (2016)
Residency: New York University School of Medicine (2015)
Graduate: New York University Medical Center (2015)
Internship: Griffin Hospital (2012)
Graduate: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2011)
Graduate: Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education (2005)
Medical School: King Georges Medical University (2003)