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