Jessica L. Zwerling
<p style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </p>
<p style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Jessica Zwerling, MD, MS, has a clinical focus on identifying risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, as well as factors that promote successful aging. Zwerling’s research focuses on optimizing healthcare delivery systems. Her work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals and has been shared at national and international invited conferences. She has developed the clinical and didactic programs used to enhance health professionals’ capacity to screen, diagnose, and develop personalized plans of care for patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias for the Montefiore Health System. She also is a nationally recognized expert in aging/ dementia and serves as an adviser on multiple panels related to recruitment in neurodegenerative disease clinical trials. In addition, she has pioneered the age-friendly initiatives at her health system and certified her Center of Excellence with the highest age-friendly recognition. Zwerling is board certified in neurology as well as the subspecialty of neuromuscular medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Geriatrics Society and the American Academy of Neurology. Additionally, she has been named “2020 Health Care Hero” by the Westchester magazine, and was named one of the New York Super Doctors in The New York Times from 2016 to 2023. She has also been appointed and completed the Physician Leaders Program at Montefiore Health System.</span></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>B.S. with Special Certification in Gerontology:</strong> Cornell University </li>
<li><strong>M.S.:</strong> Natural Science, University at Buffalo Medical School /Roswell Park Cancer Institute</li>
<li><strong>M.D. with Thesis Honors and Research Honors:</strong> University at Buffalo Medical School </li>
<li><strong> Internship</strong>: Albert Einstein/Beth Israel Medical CenterResidency</li>
<li><strong>Chief Residency</strong>: Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center </li>
<li><strong>Fellowship:</strong> Neuromuscular disease/Neurophysiology</li>
<li><strong>Fellowship:</strong> Geriatric Neurology (3 years) Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center; NIH recipient of T32</li>
<li><strong> Board Certification:</strong> American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (Neurology)</li>
<li><strong> Neuromuscular Board Certified</strong>: American Academy of Neurology</li>
</ul>
<p>To meet the needs clinically of our patients/caregivers, I developed and published a new model of care for the community. This model is called the Coordinated Care At Risk/Remote Elderly Program (CCARRE) and focuses on the patient/caregiver dyad. Additional funding supported the expansion of a telehealth depression treatment program for older adults which supported recruitment in our diverse, frail population. Foundation support has provided the ability to provide culturally and language competent assessments/evaluations and management of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairment. Other grant funding supports the implementation of the 5cs program (Comprehensive Culturally relevant Care for Cognitively impaired and their Caregivers – a pathway to equity in health care and model for systems transformation. Current funding for BRAID in conjunction will bridge our research aims and This grant uses the MHS-pioneered BRAID model (Bridging Research, Accurate Information, and Dialogue) where researchers/providers gain a deep understanding of the needs of our diverse and vulnerable population. To aid in clinical trial enrollment/retention, this work focuses on the Age Friendly 4Ms--What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility and strengthens the collaboration between the health system and the surrounding community.
</p></p>Educational models through research: Additional national funding supported the building of a network of skilled nursing facilities and expanded my role as a leader of a Covid Action Network through Project ECHO. I developed the curriculum for interprofessional and brought the community of 99 skilled nursing facilities together with our Montefiore Health System experts to provide evidence-based Covid 19 care. In addition - I obtained funding to implement the MOLST or eMOLST into our collaborative of skilled nursing facilities to assure safe care transitions and encourage the end-of-life directives to be completed electronically.</p>
My overall clinical research focuses on how to address the neurodegenerative disease. The pandemic has forced a reevaluation of resources and additional funding to support a robust educational network that provides interdisciplinary CME, as well as telehealth for the older adult, which was crucial. Building a patient-caregiver evaluation center through foundation and state/national funding is crucial and has created a niche as an expert in neurodegenerative disease with a focus on under resourced, frail populations. This group is crucial to identify and recruit for future trials and our site has been identified as a patient-centered outcome center.
<p>Jessica Zwerling, MD, MS, is Director, Montefiore Hudson Valley Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease; Program Director, UCNS Geriatric Neurology Fellowship; Director, Memory Disorders Center; and Associate Director, Center for the Aging Brain at Montefiore. She is also Associate Professor of Neurology, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Director of the Einstein Aging Study at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her clinical focus is on identifying risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, as well as factors that promote successful aging.</p><p>In 1996, Dr. Zwerling received her Bachelor of Science in human development and family studies at Cornell University, as well as earned a concentration in Gerontology. She continued her education at Roswell Park Cancer Institute/University at Buffalo, focusing on the validation of dementia rating scales, receiving her Master of Science in 2000 and her Doctor of Medicine in 2001, She earned her Doctor of Medicine with both thesis and research honors. Her postgraduate training began with an internship at Beth Israel Medical Center, followed by a residency/chief residency at Montefiore Medical Center. In 2006, she completed a fellowship in neuromuscular disease, electromyography and neurophysiology at Montefiore. In 2012, she completed a three-year NIH research fellowship in aging at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.</p><p>Dr. Zwerling’s research focuses on optimizing healthcare delivery systems and coined the term “culturally competent collaborative care of the cognitively impaired older adult”. Her work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals and has been shared at a number of national invited lectures. She has developed the clinical and didactic programs used to enhance health professionals’ capacity to screen, diagnose and develop personalized plans of care for patients with Alzheimer’s and related dementias for the Montefiore Health System.</p><p>Dr. Zwerling has received multiple grants from the Leslie R. Samuels and Fan Fox Foundation for work in memory and gait. This has created postdoctoral programs for trainees in the field of neuropsychology, social work, as well as geriatric neurology. In 2017 and 2019, Dr. Zwerling received the Research Recognition Award in Alzheimer’s Disease at the CaringKind Forget-Me-Not Gala. She was also named one of the New York Super Doctors in The New York Times from 2016 to 2020. Dr. Zwerling is board certified in neurology as well as the subspecialty of neuromuscular medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Geriatrics Society and the American Academy of Neurology. Additionally, she has been named “2020 Health Care Hero” by the Westchester magazine.</p>