Sarah Flannery, DO, at ID Care
Sarah Flannery, Infectious Disease Doctor
Infectious disease physician expertise
- Board certified in internal medicine and infectious disease by the American Board of Infectious Medicine (ABIM)
- Specializing in the treatment of all infectious diseases, with a special interest in stewardship, rapid diagnostics and travel medicine
Education
- Fellowship: Northwell Health–North Shore University Hospital/Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2021)
- Residency: Lenox Hill Hospital (2019)
- Medical School: Lake Erie College (2016)
- Undergraduate: Binghamton University (2012)
Hospital Affiliations
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Rahway, NJ
- Hackensack Meridian Health Old Bridge Medical Center, Old Bridge, NJ
- Kindred Hospital New Jersey, Rahway, NJ
- HMH JFK University Medical Center, Edison, NJ
- HMH Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge, NJ
Why I’m an infectious disease specialist
“I chose to go into infectious diseases because it is one of the few specialties where we actually get to fix things. Most specialties usually manage a chronic problem, and although there are chronic problems in infectious disease, we get the satisfaction of actually curing patients as well. I also very much enjoy learning how new diagnostics work as well as mechanisms of action for new antibiotics. It also makes sense for me considering microbiology was my favorite class in medical school and my favorite rotation later in school.”
Approach to infectious disease care
Dr. Flannery’s philosophy in treating patients is that the body is really able to heal itself, and sometimes it just needs some help, which is where her care and often some antibiotics come in. It also means sometimes we just have to be patient with our body, which is always difficult for all of us.
More about Sarah Flannery, infectious disease doctor
Dr. Flannery is a dedicated infectious disease specialist with a passion for both the science and the human side of medicine. Her journey into this field was driven by a desire to actively cure patients rather than simply manage chronic conditions, finding her calling in diagnosing and treating infectious illnesses.
The favorite part of Dr. Flannery’s work is seeing patients’ transformative journeys, from feeling terrible to feeling a little bit better to finally walking into the office for a follow-up like their normal selves. She finds this very fulfilling and says it helps validate her years of rigorous medical training.
“I hope my greatest strength when it comes to interacting with patients is the fact that I talk with them the same way I talk to everyone else in my life: as a friend,” she says. “I am a bit of a Chatty Cathy, and often find myself chit-chatting after I go over the plan. I think this makes my patients feel a little bit more comfortable with me.”
Leadership, Memberships & Research
Leadership
- Physician Chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway
Memberships
- Member of the Microbiology Committee for Robert Wood Johnson University Health System
Research
- Posters
- 10/2022 Recurrence of Streptococcus agalactiae Bacteremia – Risk Factors and Complications, IDSA ID Week 2022
- 06/2021 Hospital-acquired Bloodstream Infections in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19: Association with Immunosuppressive Medications, Northwell Health Academic Day 2021
- 10/2020 COVID-19 Very High Clinical Likelihood Prediction Tool, IDSA ID Week 2020 – Virtual
- Publications
- Flannery, S., Schwartz, R., Rasul, R., Hirschwerk, D. A., Wallach, F., Hirsch, B., & McGowan, J. (2021). A comparison of COVID-19 inpatients by HIV status. International Journal of STD & AIDS.
- Khatri A., Malhotra P., Izard, S., Kim, A., Oppenheim, M., Gautam-Goyal, P., Chen, T., Doan, T., Berlinrut, I., Niknam, N., Flannery, S., Hirschwerk, D., Epstein, M., Farber, B. (2021). Hospital-Acquired Bloodstream Infections in Patients Hospitalized With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection (Coronavirus Disease 2019): Association With Immunosuppressive Therapies. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2021
Awards & Honors
Life-changing results speak for themselves
“Staff was wonderful and extremely nice. They were always helpful and answered any and all questions and concerns I had.”