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Cara L. Wallace, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C

Associate Professor
School of Social Work

Graduate Interprofessional Gerontology Certificate Coordinator
School of Social Work


Courses Taught

Values and Ethics; Death, Dying, & Grief; Aging/Health courses; Clinical Concentration courses

Education

  • Ph.D., The University of Texas at Arlington
  • M.S.W., The University of Texas at Arlington
  • B.S.W., Texas Christian University

Research Interests

  • Hospice and end-of-life care; family communication; barriers to care; health care decision making; older adults.
  • In 2020, Dr. Wallace was selected by Cambia Health Foundation as a Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Leadership Scholar. (Add link into text: https://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org/funding-areas/sojourns-cohorts/2020/cara-l-wallace-.html )
  • In 2020, Dr. Wallace was funded by NINR/NIH for her R21 project The Impact of Live Discharge from Hospice on Patients & Caregivers

Publications and Media Placements

  1. Cara Wallace, Ph.D., LMSW 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.
  2. Wallace, C.L., Wladkowski, S.P., Gibson, A., & White, P. (2020). Grief during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations for Palliative Care Providers. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 60(1), e70 – e76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.04.012
  3. Wallace, C.L., Cruz-Oliver, D.M., Ohs, J., & Hinyard, L. (2018). Connecting the personal experiences of loss and professional practices in advance care planning and end-of-life care: A survey of providers. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 35(11), 1369-1376. doi: 10.1177/1049909118783736.
  4. Wallace, C.L., Adorno, G., & Stewart, D. (2018). End-of-life care in nursing homes: A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 21(4), 503-512, doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0211.
  5. Wallace, C.L., Swagerty, D., Barbagallo, M., Vellas, B., Bong Cha, H., Holmerova, I., Morley, J.E. (2017). GARN/IAGG International survey of end-of-life care in nursing homes. JAMDA, 18(6),465-469. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2017.04.002.
  6. A full list of publications can be found here.

Honors and Awards

  • 2020 Award for Excellence in Psychosocial Research (Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network)
  • 2019 Faculty Mentorship Award (Saint Louis University, Graduate Student Association)
  • 2019 Assistant Professor Research Award (Saint Louis University, CPHSJ)
  • Cara Wallace, PhD, LMSW is one of five researchers awarded seed grants by The Gary and Mary West Foundation to advance palliative care research.
  • Saint Louis University, Gateway Geriatric Education Center, 2016 Geriatric Leadership Scholar
  • Saint Louis University,Office for the Vice President of Research and Partnerships 2021 Junior Faculty Scholarly Works Award

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, board member (2017-2019)
  • Council on Social Work Education, member
  • Gateway End-of-Life Coalition, board member (2016 - present)
  • Gerontological Society of America, member
  • Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, board member (2017-present)
  • Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network, member
  • Shiley Institute of Palliative Care; Member of 2020/2021 Symposium Committees
  • Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC)—Junior Investigative Member