Meet Sarah Conti, Social Worker

Brown University Health is a great place to grow your career. Sarah Conti, a social worker with the Brown University Health Cancer Institute, has built her career within the organization.

A Family Affair

For Sarah Conti, working at Brown University Health is a family affair.

“My (step)mom has worked here for more than 20 years, and she was the one who recommended that I pursue a role at Brown Health,” says Sarah. “Recently, my brother started working for Bradley Learning Exchange. It’s also nice to say that I work for the largest employer in Rhode Island.”

Sarah's Career Trajectory

Sarah began her career in 2013 as a specimen processor at The Miriam Hospital, while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology. She was seeking an entry-level role to help her better understand the complexities of a hospital and medical environment, complementing what she was learning in school.

Upon completing her bachelor’s degree, she joined Gateway Healthcare as a case manager and hospital liaison. She found her way back to The Miriam Hospital, first in the lab as a customer service and billing specialist, and then a unit secretary in the emergency department. In 2020, she returned to school to pursue a master’s degree in professional studies with certificates focused on prevention science and public management. Today, Sarah cares for patients as a social worker in the Brown University Health Cancer Institute, while continuing to support The Miriam Hospital in the emergency department.

“Each role I’ve held has offered me a different perspective of the healthcare industry—interacting with patients, learning how the system works, and working with leadership in a variety of capacities,” says Sarah. “I’ve taken something with me from each job. In the emergency department, I’ve learned a lot of patience and, a lot of triaging, that I take into my role now—what’s priority, what can hold off for a few minutes. I’ve learned how to communicate with different providers, which transferred into this job as a social worker, where I’ve continued to work with all these different providers.”

Putting Brown Health's Benefits to Work

She utilized some of the education benefits offered to Brown Health employees while working full time, giving her meaningful support as she continued building the next chapter of her career.

“I took advantage of Brown Health’s tuition reimbursement offering. My boss at the time was flexible with my schedule so I didn’t have to take time out of work to go to school. She was very accommodating and made it so I didn’t have a hard time balancing my work schedule with my school schedule.”

Something that’s surprised Sarah? How easily accessible leadership is in a big organization. She served on the President’s Advisory Council at The Miriam Hospital, giving her a direct channel to ask questions and share any concerns or ideas she had.

“To me, it was surprising that this opportunity was even available because I don’t know of many organizations where you can connect with the president and other leaders that easily,” says Sarah. “That experience led to a first‑name‑basis relationship with The Miriam Hospital President Maria Ducharme. I can reach out to her with questions, and she even spoke at my master’s degree graduation—we shared a hug as I crossed the stage. You don’t hear that often in large organizations.”

Sarah says she’s looking forward to seeing how she will further use her master’s degree in professional studies—especially knowing there are so many different paths and opportunities to grow within the organization. Brown Health doesn’t just hire you for a job—they help you build a career.

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