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