Sarah Kerr, MD

Practice philosophy: The patient comes first. Helping the patient is a team effort.

What are you passionate about and why? I have a special interest in efficient use of small cancer biopsy specimens for accurate diagnosis and molecular oncology testing. Allina Health Laboratory uses state of the art technology to bring affordable and rapid precision oncology testing to patients with cancer in the local community.

If you weren't a health care provider, what would you be? I would have loved to be a professional athlete!

Why did you become a provider? When did you know this was the career for you? Having a correct diagnosis can be the most important part of medical care. I get to be a part of that diagnosis every day for many patients, which is really rewarding.

What is something you have learned from your patients? I need to make a diagnosis accurately, but also as soon as possible. Patients don't want to wait. A timely diagnosis with excellent communication is key for the patient and care team.

What is one of the challenges of this career you enjoy? And why? Accurate pathology diagnosis is difficult, even with experience. Being a caretaker of cancer specimens to make an accurate diagnosis and perform needed molecular testing is really amazing.

What is your personal health goal? Staying active and mobile

What is the best thing you've done for your health or the best health advice you've received? I love my fitness watch! Tracking exercise, sleep, and other health metrics provides a lot of insight and motivation for me.

What are you most proud of? Our Allina next generation sequencing program for cancer has been really successful. We are able to do things with small specimens that even the large commercial labs can't do, and this is extremely beneficial for our patients in the Allina community.