Our mission
Our President
Our President
To empower medical social workers through education, networking, advocacy, and collaboration—ensuring that all patients receive compassionate, culturally competent, and psychosocially-informed care.
Our President
Our President
Our President
Dr. Nicole Owczarski completed her Master of Social Work at the Jane Addams School
of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2013. Nicole’s Master's internship
was at Christ Hospital, a trauma hospital outside of Chicago, IL. Nicole became licensed
in Nevada in 2014 and started as an assistant social worker in a skilled nursing
Dr. Nicole Owczarski completed her Master of Social Work at the Jane Addams School
of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2013. Nicole’s Master's internship
was at Christ Hospital, a trauma hospital outside of Chicago, IL. Nicole became licensed
in Nevada in 2014 and started as an assistant social worker in a skilled nursing facility.
Three years later, Nicole obtained her Nursing Home Administrator’s license and
continued to oversee the daily operations of nursing homes for the next seven years.
Having worked her entire professional career in healthcare settings, Nicole is proud to
advocate and support the geriatric community through a social work lens. Nicole then
obtained her Doctor of Social Work from the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social
Work at the University of Southern California in 2024.
Nicole is a Certified Geriatric Social Worker (CSW-G) with NASW, has mentored
Administrators in Training (AIT), and has successfully helped two mentees pass their
Administrator exams.
Nicole is proud to be part of the Medical Social Work Association and help fellow
medical social workers with tools, resources, feedback, and mentorship opportunities.
Social workers are a special group of people who want what’s best for others and will
help in any way possible to ensure the future of medical social work is successful.
Nicole is currently located in Reno, Nevada, and is open to connecting with fellow
Nevada Medical Social Workers to collaborate and connect.
Our Story
Our President
Our Story
The Medical Social Work Association (MSWA) was founded to support social workers in medical settings—professionals who play a critical role in helping patients, their families, and healthcare providers navigate the complex world of medical care.
Our journey began in Nevada, where our President, a Skilled Nursing Facility Administrator(Doct
The Medical Social Work Association (MSWA) was founded to support social workers in medical settings—professionals who play a critical role in helping patients, their families, and healthcare providers navigate the complex world of medical care.
Our journey began in Nevada, where our President, a Skilled Nursing Facility Administrator(Doctor of Social Work) and her team, recognized a recurring problem: patients were often returning to the community confused about their care plans, insurance coverage, and available support. Social workers, too, were left without clear guidance or resources to help them manage these complex issues.
Driven by this gap, MSWA was created with a simple yet powerful goal: to educate and empower medical social workers so they, in turn, can better serve their patients. What started as a local effort has grown into a statewide support network for social workers in Nevada.
Today, we continue to grow, with a vision of expanding our support across the entire United States. Our mission is shaped not only by our founders’ expertise but also by the voices of social workers in the field. We invite feedback, ideas, and collaboration from medical social workers everywhere so we can continue building resources that truly meet your needs.
Together, we’re creating a more informed, supported, and impactful community of medical social workers.