My Story

Ever since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to care for others. Inspired by my late aunt who was a nurse, I pursued my degree in nursing at Boston College. I started my career in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital, where I learned how to multitask in a fast-paced environment. I then moved to Nashville, TN to complete an emergency room (ER) nurse residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After two years as an ER nurse, I became more interested in what happens outside the emergency room that causes patients to live with such uncontrolled, chronic conditions. It was at this time that I decided to pursue my Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree while also getting my Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at New York University (NYU). I continued to work in the ER in New York City while pursuing this degree, completing six years of bedside nursing experience before assuming the NP role. 

In addition to my progression from emergency room nurse to geriatric nurse practitioner, I have also explored roles in global health. My first experience was at Boston College as an undergraduate, where I completed a mission trip in the Dominican Republic, conducting community health screenings for people in low-resource areas. I developed a passion for global health and social justice. I continued to pursue this passion by volunteering at Shade Tree Clinic, a free clinic in a low-income area of Nashville serving vulnerable populations. 

I took full advantage of global opportunities at NYU while in the MPH program by participating in many international intensive courses that allowed me to learn about local health challenges and global healthcare systems.  I volunteered in Uganda with OneWorld Health for an outreach medical trip to help improve local hypertension screening and treatment guidelines. I also worked with UNICEF’s South Asia office in Nepal, working on a project for behavioral communication strategies for global pandemics. After graduation from NYU, I was invited back by the graduate program to teach in the Health Assessment lab with nurse practitioner students.

Working with a variety of patients in the emergency room, I realized my passion was for helping older adults navigate chronic health conditions and the aging process. I accepted a position as a geriatric primary care nurse practitioner at the #1 geriatrics department in the country. In this role, I see urgent visits in the practice while working with the hospital to improve health outcomes for older adults. I am currently working towards my next degree, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice program at Johns Hopkins University, where I plan to expand my knowledge, skills, and expertise to further my career. After working as a geriatrician for over five years, I have seen first-hand the many complexities of aging without straightforward resources. I will be your ally to make sure you age with grace and provide guidance to caregivers. 

Certifications

Allied Aging clients benefit from the advanced degress and certifications I’ve earned in the field. My continued contributions to publications and speaking engagements keep me up-to-date on the newest innovations in aging. Reach out to allow Allied Aging to put this breadth of experience to work for you and your loved one.

Sarah L. Romanelli

MS, MPH, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN

  • Master of Science: New York University, Rory Meyers College of Nursing

    Concentration: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

    Advanced Certificate: Palliative Care

    Master of Public Health: New York University, College of Global Public Health

    Concentration: Global Public Health

    Bachelor of Science in Nursing Boston College, William F. Connell School of Nursing

    Enrolled Doctoral candidate - Johns Hopkins University Class of 2025

  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner – American Nurses Credentialing Center

    Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse – Hospice and Nurses Association

    Nurse Practitioner in Adult Health – State of New York License

    Registered Nurse – State of New York License

    Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – American Heart Association

    Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association

  • Online articles

    Romanelli, S. (2023, February 8). My grandmother died at home, just as she wanted. It cost $145,000 [Editorial]. Cognoscenti. https:///www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2023/02/08/medicare-home-hospice-care-sarah-romanelli

    Textbooks

    Gorman, R., Wholihan, D., & Bender, S. Chapter 12: The palliative APRN in primary care. In Dahlin, C. & Coyne, P. J. (Eds.). (2023). Advanced practice palliative nursing (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Journal Papers

    Romanelli, S., Cuervo, C. M., & Rivera, V. (2024). Increasing Follow-Up With Primary Care Providers After Emergency Department Visits in Older Adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(3), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20240208-02

    Romanelli, S. & Rivera, V. (2023). A quality-improvement initiative to convert patients from warfarin to non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000857. Advance online publication. https:///doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000857

  • Podium Presentations

    “STEADI Your Staff for Falls Prevention,” Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai

    “Increasing Follow-Up with Primary Care Provider After ED Visits in Older Adults,”MSHS Ambulatory Care Nursing Symposium

    Poster Presentations

    “A Quality Improvement Project to Increase Falls Assessments for Older Adults in Primary Care,” MSHS Ambulatory Care Nursing Symposium

    “Increasing Follow-Up with Primary Care Provider After Emergency Department Visits,” Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society Annual Conference

    “Conversation of Geriatric Patients from Warfarin to NOAC in the Primary Care Setting,” MSHS Ambulatory Care Nursing Symposium

    “Hypertension in the Masindi-Kitara District of Uganda: A Qualitative Report of Patient Surveys in Mobile Outreach Clinics,” New York University College of Global Public Health Symposium 

    Staff Presentations

    “STEADI Our Staff for Falls Prevention,” Mount Sinai Hospital

    “Opioid Use in Older Adults: What Can We Do Better?” Mount Sinai Hospital

    “QI Project: Reducing Unnecessary ED Utilization in Older Adults,” Mount Sinai Hospital

    “Anticoagulation Project: Conversation of Geriatric Patients from Warfarin to NOAC,” Mount Sinai Hospital

    “Cuba’s Emergency Management and Disaster Response System,” New York Presbyterian Disaster Committee

    Academic Presentations

    “MBTI Team Assessment in Leadership,” John Hopkins University

    “Lack of Initiation of Health Care Proxies in Patients with Advanced Disease,” New York University

    “Pain Management in Patients with a History of Substance Use Disorder,” New York University

    “Ethics in Action: Caring for ‘Non-Compliant’ Patients,” New York University

    Webinars

    “Deathcare in 2023,” panelist in a discussion hosted by Guaranteed Health

  • “Respiratory Disorders in Adults,” Adult and Gerontology Primary Care, New York University

    “Musculoskeletal System and Pain Management,” Geriatric Syndromes, New York University

    “Gastrointestinal Disorders and Urinary Incontinence,” Geriatric Syndromes, New York University

    “The Neurologic Exam,” Graduate Health Assessment, New York University

QUESTIONS? LET’S CHAT!

HAVE QUESTIONS OR JUST WANT TO CHAT? BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION WITH ME!