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Home > CA Providers > Neurologists

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD

Accepting New Patients

(13 Ratings)

Specializes in: Neurology (Brain & Spinal Cord Disease)

University of Washington School of Medicine (1989)

Professional interests include: stroke, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), moyamoya disease, and more.

505 Parnassus Avenue Rm M-830
San Francisco, CA 94143

(415) 353-8897

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD is a neurologist in Berkeley, CA specializing in neurology (brain & spinal cord disease). He graduated from University of Washington School of Medicine in 1989 and has 35 years of experience. Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD is affiliated with UCSF Health, UCSF Medical Group, Hill Physicians, UCSF DEPT OF SURGERY and UNIVERSITY ANESTHESIA MEDICAL GROUP.

Office Locations

Address:

3100 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA

Address:

400 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA

Address:

505 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA

Address:

505 Parnassus Avenue Rm M-830
San Francisco, CA 94143

Address:

520 Illinois Street
San Francisco, CA

Some issues Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD can help you with:

Stroke

A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when a blood vessel supplying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is ruptured or blocked. The brain cannot function without a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients, so when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, even for a brief moment, brain cells begin to die. When a sufficient number of brain cells die, the brain itself can no longer function, meaning that strokes are very dangerous. Strokes can result in impaired movement, speech, cognitive ability, the impairment of important physical functions, and even death.

Anyone can have a stroke, regardless of age and health. Strokes are known to happen at random. However, certain conditions and behaviors can increase one's risk of stroke over time.

Risk factors for stroke include:

Heart disease
Older age
Smoking
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol and lipids

There are two main types of stroke: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs more commonly and is when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked. Blockages are caused by blood clots and built-up plaque (deposits of fat and cholesterol), which leads to atherosclerosis, a condition where the blood vessels narrow and harden. The resultant restricted blood flow may lead to an ischemic stroke by blocking essential oxygen to the brain, causing the heart to exert more effort to pump blood.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or around the brain ruptures. The burst vessel leaks blood into surrounding brain tissue, causing irreparable brain damage.

Hemorrhagic strokes are less common and may occur from head injuries, brain aneurysms, brain tumors, and bleeding disorders, amongst other conditions.

Both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes require immediate medical treatment. Medical intervention can prevent severe and life-threatening brain damage. Signs of stroke include:

-Disorientation or confusion

-Difficulty speaking

-Difficulty walking

-Impaired vision

-Weakness in the face, legs, or arms

-Severe headaches

When someone suspected of having a stroke reaches the hospital, the patient will usually receive a CT or other scan that provides an image of the brain. The scan results can reveal clotted or leaking blood in the brain. Physical exams, neurological exams, and blood tests may also be used to check for blood clotting and sugar. Treatment begins generally immediately if a stroke is detected.

Medical treatment for ischemic strokes includes a thrombolytic medicine which breaks up and disperses blood clots. This medicine can greatly improve stroke recovery and long-term health. However, the thrombolytic medicine must be administered as soon as possible to achieve these results. Other treatments for ischemic strokes are blood thinners and thrombectomy, a surgical procedure to remove a blood clot in the brain. Thrombectomy is performed by inserting a catheter (thin needle) into the artery to reach the blood clot and mechanically remove it. With the clot removed, normal blood flow to the brain resumes. Thrombectomy is typically performed at most six hours after a patient shows signs of a stroke.

Hemorrhagic strokes are treated with blood-saving medication and surgery. For a hemorrhagic stroke caused by the rupture of an aneurysm (blood vessel bulges), surgery to stem the bleeding aneurysm and vessel may be used. One surgical technique is stent-assisted coiling, which adds a stent (small wire-meshed tube) into the blood vessel to block the leaking opening of the aneurysm. A non-surgical procedure is endovascular coiling, where a catheter (thin, hollow needle) places a platinum wire coil at the spot of the aneurysm. The coil blocks bleeding and prevents the aneurysm from continuing to leak blood. These procedures are usually combined with blood-thickening medications. Blood transfusions may be administered if substantial blood loss has occurred.

Since stroke patients may have lost some essential functions while the blood flow to their brains was obstructed, both ischemic stroke and hemorrhage stroke patients may receive post-stroke rehabilitation to rebuild their physical and mental abilities. Some restorative treatments include occupational, physical, and speech therapy. Patients may also receive care from neurologists, who can assist patients in recovering certain brain functions and cognitive abilities, and rehabilitation psychologists, who may help patients with their emotional, behavioral, and cognitive recovery. Some stroke patients require lengthy rehabilitation and may never fully regain function, while others may recover more quickly. While the fastest recovery improvements are usually seen in the first three or four months, stroke rehabilitation can last for years.

If someone begins to show signs of stroke, contact emergency services and call 9-1-1 immediately since blood flow must be restored as soon as possible to help avoid significant brain damage. If an ambulance takes the person to the hospital, paramedics can initiate stroke treatment as soon as the patient enters the ambulance, allowing for more prompt medical intervention and care.

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“Dr Wade Smith, the university's associate professor of neurology said: 'We're not talking about large numbers of victims - but rare incidences do happen, and physicians and patients should be aware...”—"I'm a doctor - this is why you should NEVER crack your neck", Daily Mail Online, September 2023

“Wade Smith, chief of the neurovascular division at the University of California at San Francisco, said McConnell's episode is consistent with pre-syncope, or near fainting.”—"Mitch McConnell back to work after freeze-up, offers no health updates", Washington Post, July 2023

“"Concussion is a common problem that can cause lingering symptoms for a while," including headaches and mood and sleep disturbances, said Wade S. Smith, chief of the neurovascular division at the...”—"McConnell phones Senate Republicans, who say he's 'eager' to be back", Washington Post, March 2023

doctor visit	68
hospital care	72
inpatient care	72
ultrasound (sonogram)	154
vascular procedures	154

**Gender**
Male	147
Female	130

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	179
Black	0
Hispanic	21
Asian	50
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	122
From 75 to 84	92
85 and over	37
Less than 65	26

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	55
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	34
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	35
Dementia	14
Cancer	13

doctor visit	61
hospital care	60
inpatient care	60
ultrasound (sonogram)	164
vascular procedures	164

**Gender**
Male	148
Female	121

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	180
Black	13
Hispanic	23
Asian	41
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	108
From 75 to 84	97
85 and over	38
Less than 65	26

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	50
Ischemic Heart Disease	52
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	25
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	34
Dementia	17
Cancer	16

doctor visit	65
hospital care	128
inpatient care	128
ultrasound (sonogram)	82
vascular procedures	82

**Gender**
Male	226
Female	240

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	306
Black	36
Hispanic	0
Asian	70
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	204
From 75 to 84	156
85 and over	60
Less than 65	46

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	49
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	36
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	37
Dementia	19
Cancer	9

doctor visit	81
hospital care	102
inpatient care	102

**Gender**
Male	67
Female	83

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	106
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	24
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	53
From 75 to 84	48
85 and over	34
Less than 65	15

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	63
Ischemic Heart Disease	46
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	21
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	33
Dementia	26
Cancer	15

doctor visit	57
hospital care	122
inpatient care	122

**Gender**
Male	65
Female	78

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	91
Black	0
Hispanic	12
Asian	28
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	63
From 75 to 84	41
85 and over	25
Less than 65	14

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	65
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	32
Dementia	22
Cancer	12

doctor visit	77
hospital care	85
inpatient care	85

**Gender**
Male	69
Female	55

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	80
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	21
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	41
From 75 to 84	57
85 and over	13
Less than 65	13

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	57
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	21
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	29
Dementia	15
Cancer	14

doctor visit	40
hospital care	104
inpatient care	104

**Gender**
Male	60
Female	66

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	88
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	19
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	46
From 75 to 84	52
85 and over	13
Less than 65	15

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	63
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	37
Chronic Kidney Disease	46
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	25
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	36
Dementia	19
Cancer	16

doctor visit	43
hospital care	85
inpatient care	85

**Gender**
Male	63
Female	63

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	83
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	22
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	50
From 75 to 84	38
85 and over	21
Less than 65	17

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	61
Ischemic Heart Disease	47
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	29
Dementia	28
Cancer	13

doctor visit	105
hospital care	281
inpatient care	281
ultrasound (sonogram)	293
vascular procedures	293

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD treated as a neurologist in Berkeley, CA were ultrasound (sonogram), vascular procedures, hospital care and inpatient care.

doctor visit	67
hospital care	115
inpatient care	115
ultrasound (sonogram)	173
vascular procedures	173

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD.

**Gender**
Female	83
Male	84

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	4
Asian / Pacific Islander	27
Non-Hispanic White	111
Hispanic	5
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	0

**Age**
85 and over	24
75 to 84	58
Less than 65	17
65 to 74	68

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	46
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	7
Osteoporosis	9
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	26
Atrial Fibrillation	19
Dementia	16
Cancer	10

Education & Training

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD graduated from University of Washington School of Medicine in 1989. He completed residency at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. and has a state license in California.

Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine (1989)

Residency: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals (1993)

Board Certification: Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UCSF Health

UCSF Medical Group

Hill Physicians

UCSF DEPT OF SURGERY

UNIVERSITY ANESTHESIA MEDICAL GROUP

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Cigna, Blue Shield, Aetna, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, Health Net, Chinese Community Health Plan, Brand New Day and Canopy Health.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD accepts the following insurance providers:

Cigna

Blue Shield

Aetna

Anthem

UnitedHealthcare

Health Net

Chinese Community Health Plan

Brand New Day

Canopy Health

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.97 out of 5 stars based on 13 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD from all over the web to help you find the right in Berkeley, CA.

4.97

Overall Rating

(13 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Stryker Corporation	$48,818 Neuroform EZ $33,745	New Product Development $7,650	STENTS $2,774	NEURO $2,681	ATLAS $1,700	Other $269
Covidien LP	$14,363 Neurovascular Stents $14,363
DePuy Orthopaedics Inc.	$4,876 neurovascular $4,876
Jan Medical Inc.	$2,537 Natilus BrainPulse 1000 (formerly Natilus NeuroWave) $2,460	$77
UCB, Inc.	$355 Vimpat $355
Other	$286 OPMI Pentero $139	Neurovascular Stents $95	Kick, Airo, Curve, Buzz, Node, Exact Trac, Novalis, TramaCad, Elements $52

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$52,439
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$14,363
Travel and Lodging	$3,120
Food and Beverage	$1,228
Gift	$77
Other	$8

Research Payments

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD has received 11 research payments totaling $141,579.

Ownership and Interest Payments

This table describes ownership payments received by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD.

Jan Medical Inc.

2015

$1,800.00

Physician Covered Recipient

Fully Vested Company NSO's

Biography

Dr. Wade Smith, who practices in San Francisco, CA, is a medical specialist in neurology (brain & spinal cord disease). Areas of particular interest for Dr. Smith include cavernous malformations, brain aneurysm, and stroke. Dr. Smith graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine and then he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). His professional affiliations include UCSF Medical Group and Hill Physicians.

Select Year:

Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD

Office Locations

Some issues Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD can help you with:

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2013

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2014

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2015

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2016

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2017

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2018

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2019

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD in 2020

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Wade Smith, MD PhD From 2013 - 2021

Education & Training

Affiliations & Hospitals

Insurance Information

Ratings & Reviews

General Payments

Research Payments

Ownership and Interest Payments

Biography

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