About me
Sana Somani, MD, is a board-certified neurologist joining as a vascular neurologist affiliated with the Comprehensive Stroke Centers at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She is also an attending telestroke physician for all MedStar Health hospitals and is Assistant Professor at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where she educates neurology residents and NIH stroke fellows.
Dr. Somani received her medical degree from the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. She then completed a four-year neurology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she served as Chief Resident. Finally, she completed a specialty fellowship in vascular neurology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, before joining MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
As a vascular neurologist at MedStar Washington, one of the few MRI-based stroke programs in the country and also the largest NIH-funded stroke center, she sees patients for ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, hemorrhagic stroke, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. She has a special interest in treating stroke in the young population (patients between the ages of 30 and 50) including those with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
Dr. Somani provides acute stroke treatment and secondary stroke prevention. Acute stroke treatment aims to reduce the size of the stroke and reverse damage to the brain through clot-busting medications and clot retrieving procedures. Stroke prevention treatment aims to understand why the stroke occurred and implement a treatment plan that aims to prevent a stroke from happening in the future. Dr. Somani coordinates with physicians in different specialties, including neurosurgery, cardiology, vascular surgery, and rheumatology, to help create a tailored treatment plan for her patients.
Her research interests were sparked during her residency and fellowship training, where she witnessed first-hand the ethnic, racial, and gender disparities that exist within the healthcare system. She was interviewed by Neurology Today for her work regarding health disparities in stroke rehabilitation.
Philosophy of Care
“My philosophy of care rests on a central pillar: Treat the patient, not the disease. When treating patients who suffer from strokes, we have to make quick decisions in the moment that will impact their entire life. I always ask myself, ‘What can we do for the patient, not to the patient?’”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Treatment
- Numbness Evaluation And Treatment
- Stroke Care
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
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CIGNA PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- TRICARE East Select
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- IH-EPO Plus
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 5000
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-Open POS II
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- HighMark
- TRICARE for Life East
- Navigate
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-PPO
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Sentara Health
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- IH-POS Plus
- UHC Passport
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Network OA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA EPO
- Choice POS
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- OA Plus
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- IH-POS
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- First Health PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 3500
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Medicare Direct
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CIGNA Indemnity
- TRICARE East Prime
- Medicare FFS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- United Student Resources
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- POS OA
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- CareFirst EPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- First Health PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Optimum Choice
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Beech Street PPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, Vascular Neurology
Fellowship: University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown GME (2021)
Residency: University of Alabama Medical Center-Birmingham (2020)
Medical School: Aga Khan University Medical School (2015)