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.
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Acute Stroke Care
- Stroke Care
- Stroke Diagnosis
- Stroke Imaging
- Stroke Management
- Stroke Neurology
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 of Delaware HMO/PPO
- HighMark
- IH-Indemnity
- OA Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-Open POS II
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Network OA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- POS OA
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CIGNA EPO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- CareFirst EPO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Medicare FFS
- IH-POS
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- UHC Passport
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna HMO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- TRICARE East Prime
- TRICARE for Life East
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Beech Street PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Choice POS II
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- United Student Resources
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Choice POS
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-EPO Plus
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- United Healthcare Choice
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst NASCO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst Administrators
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Choice Fund PPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Sentara Health
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Navigate
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- CIGNA PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- First Health PPO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Vascular Neurology
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, Vascular 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]