Karen Elta Anderson, MD| Psychiatry | MedStar Health
Karen Elta Anderson

Karen Elta Anderson, MD
Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Specialties: Psychiatry

Languages: English

About me

Karen Anderson, MD, is a psychiatrist specializing in neuropsychiatry, and director of the Huntington’s Disease Care, Education and Research Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Anderson sees adult patients and families dealing with behavioral symptoms caused by neurological conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and brain injuries. She is also an associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Dr. Anderson’s work combines her lifelong interest in behavior with an interest in understanding how disease can affect the brain and cause behavioral symptoms. In addition to seeing patients and their families, Dr. Anderson is active in research. She’s currently the co-principal investigator on a clinical trial studying a medication to treat Huntington’s disease, and another studying a medication for tardive dyskinesia, a neurological disorder. Dr. Anderson is also involved in research to develop treatment for the behavioral symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Anderson is on the executive committee of the Huntington Study Group, a collaborative organization of physicians and healthcare providers from around the world dedicated to clinical research of Huntington’s disease. She’s also an affiliate member of the European Huntington’s Disease Network. In 2013, the Baltimore Huntington Disease Society of America affiliate awarded her their Celebration of Hope Award for excellence in Huntington’s disease clinical care.

Clinical areas of focus

  • Behavioral Disorders
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Depression
  • Mental Health
  • Mood Disorders
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Psychosis
  • Psychotherapy
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Women's Mental Health
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Conditions and procedures

Conditions I treat

  • Acute Stress Disorder
  • Addiction Disorders
  • Adjustment Disorder
  • Agitation
  • Alcohol Addiction
  • Alcohol Dependency
  • Anger Issues
  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Autism
  • Behavioral Disorders
  • Behavioral Issues In Dementia
  • Bereavement
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Brief Psychotic Disorder
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Complicated Bereavement Disorder
  • Compulsive And Addictive Behaviors
  • Conversion Disorder
  • Cyclothymic Disorder
  • Delusional Disorder
  • Dependent Personality Disorder
  • Depression
  • Disruptive Behavior
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Dysthymia
  • Eating Disorders
  • Executive Function Disorder
  • Gender Dysphoria
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Grief
  • Hallucinations
  • Hoarding Disorder
  • Hypochondriasis
  • Hypomania
  • Impulse Control Disorders
  • Intermittent Explosive Disorder
  • Mania
  • Mental Health Disorders
  • Mood Disorders
  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Panic Attack
  • Paranoia And Delusional Disorders
  • Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
  • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder
  • Personality Disorder
  • Phobia
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
  • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
  • Psycho Oncology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Psychosis
  • Psychosomatic Disorders
  • Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • Self Harming Behaviors
  • Somatic Symptom Disorder
  • Somatoform Disorders
  • Substance Addiction
  • Substance Dependence
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Suicide Attempt
  • Thought Disorder
  • Trichotillomania
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Procedures I perform

  • Adult Psychiatry
  • Anger Management
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Men's Mental Health
  • Mental Health
  • Neuropsychiatry
  • Psychotherapy
  • Transplant Psychiatry
  • Women's Mental Health
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Practice locations

Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location

3800 Reservoir Road Northwest
Pasquerilla Healthcare Center 7th Fl Dept Neurology
Washington, DC, 20007

202-444-8525

Fax 202-444-2661

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 202-444-2661

2115 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest
Suite 200
Washington, DC, 20007

202-944-5400

Fax 202-944-5404

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 202-944-5404

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.

  • List of insurance plans we accept
    • Kaiser Medicare Plus
    • Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
    • Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
    • United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
    • Innovation Health: PPO
    • Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
    • Medicaid - Maryland
    • Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
    • Kaiser Select
    • Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
    • Virginia Premier
    • United Navigate
    • CareFirst Administrators
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
    • Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
    • Cigna EPO
    • United AARP Medicare Complete
    • Beech Street PPO
    • Cigna Indemnity
    • WellPoint Maryland
    • United Optimum Choice
    • Cigna POS/Network POS
    • Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
    • United Select Plus (POS)
    • Employee Health Plan (EHP)
    • Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
    • CareFirst MedStar PPO
    • I-SNP
    • WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
    • United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
    • Kaiser Flexible Choice
    • Cigna Choice Fund PPO
    • Innovation Health: Open POS II
    • United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
    • Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
    • MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
    • Medicaid - District of Columbia
    • Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
    • United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
    • Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
    • Innovation Health: POS
    • Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
    • Kaiser Select-Added Choice
    • HumanaChoice PPO
    • Innovation Health: Indemnity
    • Medicaid - Virginia
    • CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
    • Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
    • Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
    • Tricare East Select
    • MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
    • UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
    • Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
    • United Core Essential (HMO)
    • Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
    • United Student Resources
    • Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
    • Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
    • CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
    • Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
    • United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
    • Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
    • CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
    • Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
    • Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
    • United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
    • United MD IPA (HMO)
    • Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
    • United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
    • Tricare East Prime
    • United Mamsi Life & Health
    • Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
    • United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
    • CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
    • Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
    • United Choice Plus
    • United Choice
    • Carefirst EPO
    • Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
    • Cigna Network Open Access
    • CareFirst NASCO
    • Kaiser Signature
    • Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
    • Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
    • CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
    • D-SNP)
    • Aetna HMO
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
    • Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
    • Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
    • Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
    • Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
    • United Golden Rule
    • Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
    • Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
    • Cigna Preferred Medicare
    • United Erickson Advantage Plans
    • United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
    • Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
    • Aetna Student Health Insurance
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
    • Police and Fire Clinic
    • Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
    • Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
    • Tricare Reserve Select
    • CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
    • Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
    • Cigna HMO Open Access
    • HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
    • Tricare for Life East
    • HealthyBlue PPO
    • Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
    • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
    • CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
    • Innovation Health: POS Plus
    • Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
    • Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
    • MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
    • Coventry Health Care of Virginia
    • First Health PPO
    • Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA

Education

Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry

Residency: New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus) (1997)

Graduate: Keck School of Medicine Department of Radiology (1993)