2019 40 Under 40: Dr. Sarah Cimino, 37

SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton

Dr. Sarah Cimino’s proudest accomplishments all have names – first names and last names. As a full-time dentist for The Tooth Truck, a Ronald McDonald House Charities mobile care unit, Cimino says she is most proud of the quality and compassionate care she has provided to underserved children in the community for over eight years.

“The patients I treat day in and day out are my greatest accomplishment and their smiling faces are my greatest reward,” she says.

Not only is Cimino doing the work she loves, she is personally seeing to its sustainability by developing a long-term effectiveness study, applying for community grants, mentoring college predental students and helping to replicate the model in other communities.

What was your first job? The Kansas City Zoo. I drove the tram and train and also helped load people onto the camel ride. 

What about your job would shock people? The Tooth Truck is my full-time job. Also, I have my commercial driver’s license, and I drive the Tooth Truck on a weekly rotation.

What is your best productivity hack? Do everything you can the night before. I pack lunches, lay out clothes, prepare snacks, fill water bottles and load backpacks. The key to a good day is a good start to the morning.

What did you learn the hard way? You can’t please everyone.