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