Jessica L. Zwerling

Jessica L. Zwerling

Jessica L. Zwerling, MD

Neurology



  • Director, Montefiore Hudson Valley Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease (CEAD)
  • Director, UCNS Geriatric Neurology Fellowship Program
  • Director, Memory Disorders Center at Blondell
  • Associate Director, Center for the Aging Brain
  • Associate Professor of Neurology
  • Clinical Director, Einstein Aging Study

Montefiore Medical Park At 1515 Blondell
1515 Blondell Avenue
Bronx, NY 10461-2601
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Montefiore Einstein

About

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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, with particular attention on underserved populations.

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.

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.

Dr. Zwerling has received multiple grants from the Leslie R. Samuels and Fan Fox Foundation for work in memory and gait in the field of health disparities research. 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.

Gender: Female

Credentials

Titles and Positions

  • Director, Montefiore Hudson Valley Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease (CEAD)
  • Director, UCNS Geriatric Neurology Fellowship Program
  • Director, Memory Disorders Center at Blondell
  • Associate Director, Center for the Aging Brain
  • Associate Professor of Neurology
  • Clinical Director, Einstein Aging Study

Education and Training

  • Medical Education State University of NY at Buffalo School of Medicine
  • Fellowship Montefiore Medical Center
  • Residency Montefiore Medical Center

Areas of Expertise

Specialties

  • Neurology
  • Neuromuscular Medicine

Clinical Focus

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 social determinants of health as well as 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 social determinants of health and the Age Friendly 4Ms--What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility and strengthens the collaboration between the health system and the surrounding community.  
 
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.   

Research Focus

My overall clinical research focuses on how to address and overcome healthcare disparities emphasizing a community-based approach to increase awareness, expand participation in research, and direct diverse communities to culturally appropriate services and care. 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. 

Locations

Primary Location

Additional Locations

Montefiore at 6 Executive Plaza
6 Executive Plaza
Yonkers, NY 10701-6832
914-375-4880