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Marla Berg-Weger, Ph.D., M.S.W.

Professor Emeritus of Social Work; Social Work
College for Public Health and Social Justice

Executive Director
Gateway Geriatric Education Center, Saint ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ University School of Medicine


Courses Taught

Introduction to Social Work and Interprofessional Geriatrics

Education

Ph.D., Washington University
M.S.W., University of Kansas
B.S.W., Kansas State University

ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Interests

non-pharmacologic interventions for older adults, particularly those with cognitive impairment; loneliness and social isolation among older adults; family caregiving; geriatric workforce

Publications and Media Placements

  1. Lach, H., Little, M.O., Berg-Weger, M., & Zubatsky, M. (2020, in press). Interprofessional Competencies of Students Participating in a Geriatric Case Competition. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education. 

  2. Berg-Weger, M. & Schroepfer, T. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: Workforce implications for gerontological social work. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2020.1772934. 

  3. Sanford, A.M., Morley, J.E. Berg-Weger, M., Lundy, J. Little, M.O., Leonard, K., & Malmstrom, T.K. (2020). High Prevalence of geriatric syndromes in older adults. PLOsONE, 15(6): e233857.

  4. Zubatsky, J.M, Berg-Weger, M., & Morley, J.E. (2020). Using telehealth groups to combat loneliness in older adults through COVID-19. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. DOI:10.1111/jgs.16553. 

  5. Berg-Weger, M. & Morley, J.E. (2020). Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Gerontological Social Work. Journal of Nutrition, Health, & Aging, 24. 

  6. Berg-Weger, M. & Morley, J.E. (2020). Loneliness in old age: An unaddressed health problem. Journal of Nutrition, Health, & Aging, 24(3), 243-245. doi: 10.1007/s12603-020-1323-6. 

  7. Schroepfer, T., Berg-Weger, M., & Morano, C. (2020). Training the next generation of gerontological social work scholars. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 62(8), 823-827. 

  8. Khoo, Y.M., Wallace, C., & Berg-Weger, M. (2019). Geriatric Case Management. In : Gu D., Dupre M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. 

  9. Berg-Weger M. & Khoo Y.M. (2019) Community Health for Older Adults. In: Gu D., Dupre M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham 

  10. Ratnapradipa, K.L., Wang, J., Berg-Weger, M., & Schootman, M. (2019). Effects of older adult driving resumption on all-cause mortality. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, gbz058,  

  11. Sanford, A.M., Berg-Weger, M., Lundy, J., & Morley, J.E. (2019). Aging friendly health systems. Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging, 23(2), 119-121. 

  12. Hash, K.M., Berg-Weger, M., Stewart, D.B. & Elliott, D.P. (2019). Social work’s participation in the Geriatric Education Centers (GECs): A brief report. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(3), 406-411 (on-line 12/1/16);

  13. Ratnapradipa, K.L., Wang, J., Berg-Weger, M., Schootman, M. (2018). Coming out of retirement – the extent of driving resumption among older drivers. Innovation in Aging, 2 (3), 1–10.

Chapters/Units

Boisert, D., Zubatsky, M., & Berg-Weger, M. (2020, in press). Caring for the Caregiver. Pathy’s Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine.


Media

  • 2020 Written testimony provided to the Senate Sub-Committee on Labor on Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program Funding
  • 2020 Supporting Older Adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, Interviews with KWEM (NPR), Healthy U Radio, and Kirksville Express
  • 2019 Federal government taps Saint ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ U. to improve care for Missouri's older adults, EurekAlert!, phys.org, scienmag.com, Newswise, St. ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Business Journal, and St. ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Post-Dispatch.
  • 2018 Keeping Older Adults Safe in Heat Waves, NPR

Honors and Awards

  • 2020 Memory Care Home Solutions Innovation and Vision Mission Champion Award
  • 2019 Faculty Leadership Award, Association of Gerontological Education in Social Work
  • 2019 Mentor Recognition, Council on Social Work Education Women’s Council
  • 2019 Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Award for Excellence in Service to Older Adults, Washington University

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, co-coordinator of the Pre-Dissertation Fellow Initiative
  • Gerontological Society of America - chair, Social ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ and Policy Practice
  • National Association of Geriatric Education- President-Elect

Editorial Boards:

  • 2009-2019 Journal of Gerontological Social Work
  • 2018- Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
  • 2018- Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging

Community Work and Service

Berg-Weger is co-project director of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program with John Morley of Saint ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ University's School of Medicine Geriatrics Division. It is a three-year project to provide geriatric education to students and community practitioners.

Community partners include: SSM Healthcare, St. ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ Alzheimer's Association, Northside Youth and Senior Services, Myrtle Hilliard David Health Center, St. ÀË»¨Ö±²¥ County Health Department, Perry County Memorial Hospital, and A.T. Still University (Kirksville, MO) and Missouri Area Health Education Centers.