Amie Hsia

Amie Hsia, MD, serves as Medical Director of the Stroke Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC; Program Manager, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center; and Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Dr. Hsia's main area of research is stroke, especially the delivery of care to stroke victims who come from at-risk or medically underserved communities.

Dr. Hsia has published many abstracts and several book chapters in her area of expertise, and her research work has been published in leading academic journals, including Stroke and Neurology. Dr. Hsia serves as an ad hoc reviewer for publications such as the Annals of Neurology, Archives of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and the Journal of Neurosurgery. Her research in stroke care, the delivery of care, and disparities of stroke care has been featured in the national media, including the Washington Post.

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 neuro-critical care.

Research Interests

Dr. Hsia's research interests include

• Acute stroke care
• Disparities of care
• Research into the delivery of care
• Use of MRI to guide acute stroke treatment

Selected Research

Racial disparities in tissue plasminogen activator treatment rate for stroke: a population-based study. Stroke. 2011 Aug;42(8):2217-21. Epub 2011 Jun 30.

Hsia AW, Edwards DF, Morgenstern LB, Wing JJ, Brown NC, Coles R, Loftin S, Wein A, Koslosky SS, Fatima S, Sanchez BN, Fokar A, Gibbons MC, Shara N, Jayam-Trough A, Kidwell CS.

In this population-based study of a predominantly black urban population hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke, blacks were significantly less likely to be treated with intravenous tPA due to contraindications to treatment, delayed presentation, and stroke severity. Effective interventions designed to increase treatment in this population need to focus on culturally relevant education programs designed to address barriers specific to this population.

Understanding Reasons for Delay in Seeking Acute Stroke Care in an Underserved Urban Population. Stroke. 2011; 42:1697-1701, published online before print May 5 2011, doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.604736

Hsia AW, Castle A, Wing JJ, Edwards DF, Brown NC, Higgins TM, Wallace JL, Koslosky SS, Gibbons MC, Sanchez BN, Fokar A, Shara N, Morgenstern LB, Kidwell CS.

In this predominantly black urban population, although 89% of community volunteers report the intent of calling 911 during a stroke, only 12% of actual patients with stroke did so. Further research is needed to determine and conquer the barriers between behavioral intent and actual behavior to call 911 for witnessed stroke.