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
- Migraine
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Movements
- Acute Disseminated Demyelination
- Aphagia And Dysphagia
- Binocular Movement Disorders
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Disorders
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Convulsions
- Cranial Nerve Injury
- Degenerative Diseases Of Basal Ganglia
- Degenerative Diseases Of Nervous System
- Demyelinating Diseases Of Central Nervous System
- Dystonia
- Epilepsy And Seizures
- Extrapyramidal And Movement Disorders
- Facial Nerve Disorder
- Gait And Balance Problems
- General Sensations And Perceptions
- Head Injury
- Headache
- Hydrocephalus
- Lack Of Coordination
- Migraine
- Myopathies
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Occipital Neuralgia
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Parkinson's Disease
- Transient Cerebral Ischemic Attacks
- Vestibular Disorders
Procedures I perform
- Balance And Coordination Training
- Balance And Gait Disorders Treatment
- Botulinum Toxin Injections For Migraines
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Treatment
- Confusion Treatment
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Electroencephalogram
- Electroencephalogram Review
- Median Nerve Conduction Studies
- Nerve Block
- Numbness Evaluation And Treatment
- Stroke Care
- Transcranial Doppler
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
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Choice POS
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- IH-Indemnity
- Choice Fund PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Sentara Health
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Beech Street PPO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CareFirst NASCO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- IH-EPO Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CIGNA EPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- MultiPlan, Inc
- OA Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Basic
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Medicare Direct
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-POS Plus
- Medicare FFS
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna HMO
- United Student Resources
- CIGNA PPO
- Network OA
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- IH-HMO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- POS OA
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CareFirst EPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Classic 5000
- IH-Open POS II
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- HighMark
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- UHC Passport
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Open HMO Option
- TRICARE East Prime
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Navigate
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-POS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst Administrators
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry and 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)