Cara Wallace, Ph.D., LMSW, APHSW-C
Votsmier Endowed Chair
Nursing
Professor
Nursing
Education
Bachelor of Science in Social Work [Magna Cum Laude], Texas Christian University
Master of Science in Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington
PhD in Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington
Dissertation: Predictors of Timing in Hospice Utilization: The Role of Family in the
Decision for Hospice Care
Research Interests
Dr. Wallace’s research focuses on issues related to end-of-life care within three related areas: barriers to care, quality of care, and educating students, professionals, and the general population to face issues surrounding death, illness, loss, and grief. Her work is informed by years of social work practice in hospice and hospital systems. Recent projects include NIH-funded work exploring outcomes and experiences of “live discharge” from hospice care, or rather when a patient stabilizes during care and is removed from services. A funded supplement from that study examines the social context for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias following a live discharge. In another project funded as part of Cambia Health Foundations Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, Dr. Wallace is creating an instrument to measure a person’s perceptions of hospice care, which she plans to use to evaluate a community educational intervention about hospice using art and narratives. She is interested in the use of narratives as an educational intervention both within the community and among healthcare professionals and is committed to the promotion of interprofessional teamwork in practice, education, and research.
Publications and Media Placements
See my full list of publications here.
Wladkowski, S.P., Wallace, C.L., *Coccia, K., Hyde, R.C., Hinyard, L., & Washington, K.T. (online first). Live Discharge
of Hospice Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A Systematic Review.
American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091231168401
Kusmaul, N., Becker, T.D.*, Gibson, A., & Wallace, C.L. (online first). Death with Dignity: How Might US Policy Prevent Suffering at the End of Life? Journal of Aging & Social Policy.
Wallace, C.L., *Coccia, K., *Khoo, Y.M., & Bullock. K. (2023). The Meaning of Hospice Care: Perceptions of Hospice Patients and Caregivers. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 40(10), 1132-1140. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091221149702
Wallace, C.L., Trees, A., Ohs, J., & Hinyard, L. (2023). Narrative medicine for healthcare providers: Improving practices of advance care planning. Omega – Journal of Death and Dying, 87(1), 87-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211015596
Rosa, W.E., Izumi, S., Sullivan, D., Lakin, J., Rosenberg, A.R., Creutzfeldt, C.J., Lafond, D., Tija, J., Cotter, V., Wallace, C.L., Sloan, D.E., Cruz-Oliver, D.M., DeSanto-Madeya, S., Bernacki, R., Leblanc, T.W., Epstein, A.S. (2023). Advance Care Planning in Serious Illness: A Narrative Review. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 65(1), E63-E78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.08.012
Wladkowski, S.P., & Wallace, C.L. (2022). The Forgotten and Misdiagnosed Care Transition: Live Discharge from Hospice Care. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 8 (January-December,2022). https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221109984
*Holzer, K., Vaughn, M., Loux, T., Mancini, M., Fearn, N., & Wallace, C.L. (2022). Prevalence and Correlates of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Older Adults.
Aging and Mental Health, 26(1), 169-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1839867
Cara L. Wallace, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio’s “St. Louis On the Air” about how to broach important topics related to end-of-life care.
Honors and Awards
Saint Louis University, Office for the Vice President of Research and Partnerships
2021 Junior Faculty Scholarly Works Award
Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network’s 2020 Award for Excellence in Psychosocial
Research
Saint Louis University, Graduate Student Association, 2019 Faculty Mentorship Award
Professional Organizations and Associations
Gerontological Society for America (GSA)—Social Research, Policy, & Practice Section
(SRPP)
Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW)
Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network (SWHPN)
Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC)—Investigative Member
Community Work and Service
Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) Pre-Dissertation Fellow
Program Co-Director
Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE), Advisory Board Member
Gateway End-of-Life Coalition, former board member