Marlo Vernon, PhD
Associate Professor Augusta University
- Augusta GA
Skilled in Program Evaluation, Grant Writing, Program Development, Public Health Research and Data Analysis.
Multimedia
Social
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Georgia Public Health Association, Student Poster Award
2017
Georgia Public Health Association
"Current patterns of emergency department utilization: patient characteristics of high frequency utilizations"
American Public Health Association Student Presentation Award
2017
American Public Health Association, Medical Care Section
"Costs and Trends of Emergency Department Utilization Pre- and Post-ACA: Evidence from a Rural Georgia Hospital"
The Anthony Shuker Scientific Poster Award
2016
GeorgiaBio Innovation Summit
"New Measures of Innovation Productivity in Bio Sciences"
Education
Augusta University
Ph.D.
Applied Health Sciences
2018
University of South Carolina
M.P.H.
Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Maternal and Child Health
2003
Franciscan University of Steubenville
B.A.
English Language and Literature/Letters
2001
Marquette University
Certificate
Natural Family Planning Instructor
Affiliations
- American Public Health Association
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
Media Appearances
Saluting Our Heroes: Local professors working to fight food insecurity
WFXG tv
2024-08-19
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WFXG) - Food insecurity plagues the nation and the CSRA. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 17 million households in the U.S. were food insecure at some point in 2022.
The public health concern greatly impacts expectant, pregnant, and postpartum individuals. Food insecurity during pregnancy has been linked with gestational diabetes, iron deficiency, pregnancy complications, and postpartum depression, according to Feeding America.
Two professors are working to combat the issue on the local level. Dr. Chad Ray, professor in the Medical College of Georgia‘s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Marlo Vernon, associate professor for the Georgia Prevention Institute at MCG, developed the Food Farmacy program. It is funded by the Georgia Department of Public Health and a cardio obstetrics grant Dr. Ray and Dr. Vernon have received.
The professors conducted a survey on food insecurity. According to Dr. Vernon, 50 percent of the participants stated they had concerns that they may not have enough food to last a week. She said the results weren't surprising, but they were a wake-up call.
“On top of food insecurity, you know we live in a food swamp or a food desert down here around the medical district. People don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables as regularly as they might like," said Dr. Vernon.
State and Local Leaders Met in Augusta to Address Opioid Crisis
WFXG tv
2024-07-31
In a concerted effort to tackle the growing opioid crisis, state and local leaders gathered in Augusta on Wednesday to strategize on combating the epidemic, particularly focusing on the battle against fentanyl.
The opioid crisis was officially declared a national public health emergency by the Department of Health & Human Services in October 2017. The urgency of the situation was underscored as officials from across Georgia assembled this morning to discuss collaborative approaches for moving forward in the fight against this devastating issue.
According to the Georgia Department of Health, opioid-involved overdose deaths in Georgia surged by a staggering 302 percent from 2010 to 2022. This alarming increase has propelled state and local leaders into action, as they seek innovative and effective solutions to curb the crisis.
The statewide opioid task force is not only focused on tracking drug operations but also emphasizes recovery processes for individuals affected by substance abuse. Marlo Vernon, with Hope House, which supports women in recovery, underscored the importance of community support in overcoming addiction. "I think that’s a really big message that the community needs to hear that there is hope for people that struggle with substance abuse," Vernon said.
Augusta food pharmacy teaches new moms about nutrition, resources
WRDW tv
2024-06-18
A new food pharmacy is helping pregnant and postpartum mothers make sure they get the right resources for nutrition.
We spoke with a mom about how this is helping her and other moms in our area.
The National Institute of Health ranks Georgia as number two in the country for maternal mortality.
What’s the biggest issue they face here in Augusta? Access to healthy food and knowledge of how to take care of their body both before and after the baby is here.
Augusta University, the HUB and Augusta Locally Grown are all teaming up to find solutions and teaching moms to use food as medicine.
Pregnancy complications were never in the cards for first-time mom Sara Clark.
Food as medicine: New Food Farmacy opens in Augusta to help pregnant, postpartum women
Augusta Chronicle print
2024-06-06
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Georgia has one of the worst maternal and fetal mortality rates in the country. While there is no quick fix to the problem, there are some steps being taken in the Augusta area to help pregnant and postpartum women with a new Food Farmacy program.
Dr. Chad Ray, professor in the Medical College of Georgia‘s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Marlo Vernon, associate professor for the Georgia Prevention Institute at MCG, have teamed up with Augusta Locally Grown at the Hub for Community Innovation to provide mothers and expectant mothers with not only fresh produce, but also other healthy activities, such as meeting with nutritionists, free in-person cooking classes and more.
Lack of access key to maternal mortality rise in Georgia, but some are taking action
Augusta Chronicle print
2023-08-16
Shortly after she received her doctorate in 2018, Medical College of Georgia associate professor Dr. Marlo Michelle Vernon experienced something that refocused her research.
"I ... had a cousin who was 38 weeks pregnant with her second baby, and she woke up the day after her baby shower with a excruciating headache that would not go away," she said.
Vernon had worked on maternal and child health for years, but had never focused specifically on maternal mortality. She says she now knows that a headache like that can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder.
But her cousin and her family did not know it at the time. Once they decided to visit a hospital, it was too late.
Improving health, improving the community
Jagwire online
“I’ve worked at Augusta University for 15 years but had always wanted to get my PhD,” Vernon said. “When Allied Health announced this program, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me.”
A new Georgia Cancer Center project will benefit the MM Scott community
The Augusta Press online
2023-02-24
On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 23, the Georgia Cancer Center’s CHANGE initiative gifted the MM Scott neighborhood with a family friendly storywalk, along with easy access cancer screening tools and prevention information.
The CHANGE (Cancer Health Awareness through screeNinG and Education) program, first started by Augusta University assistant professor Marlo Vernon, aims to minimize racial inequities by raising awareness of cancer through education and community relationships.
“So this project is funded by the American Cancer Society and Pfizer, and what we have done is developed an education program for residents of several Augusta housing authority communities, including here at MM Scott,” said Vernon. “We come in and we do a four-week session with residents. We help them to evaluate whether or not they need screening for cancer, and then we navigate them to those screenings.”
Local professor grateful for daughter’s open-heart surgery
WRDW tv
2023-03-14
A professor of the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Cancer Center is thanking the Children’s Hospital of Georgia for performing open-heart surgery on her daughter.
Marlo Vernon has worked at the two for more than 20 years. Her work focuses on engaging with communities to address cancer health disparities in the community.
Articles
Costs and Trends of Emergency Department Utilization Pre-ACA and Post-ACA
Medical CareMarlo Vernon, Steven Goggans, Gianluca De Leo, Vahé Heboyan
2019
A high volume of emergency department (ED) visits in the rural United States may be the result of barriers to accessing primary care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased the number of insured, which may improve patient access to primary care and therefore reduce ED utilization.
Are university rankings useful to improve research? A systematic review
PloS oneMarlo M Vernon, E Andrew Balas, Shaher Momani
2018
Concerns about reproducibility and impact of research urge improvement initiatives. Current university ranking systems evaluate and compare universities on measures of academic and research performance. Although often useful for marketing purposes, the value of ranking systems when examining quality and outcomes is unclear.
Respiratory therapy faculty perspectives on interprofessional education: Findings from a cross-sectional online survey
Journal of Interprofessional CareMarlo M Vernon, Nicole Moore, Andrew Mazzoli, Gianluca De Leo
2018
Interprofessional education (IPE) improves collaboration and patient care through joint education between health professions. Respiratory therapy (RT) has not been previously evaluated as participants in IPE. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to evaluate the opportunities and barriers towards IPE of 874 respiratory therapy faculty with both quantitative measures and open-ended questions.
Respiratory therapy faculty knowledge of and attitudes toward interprofessional education
Respiratory CareMarlo M Vernon, Nicole M Moore, Lisa-Anne Cummins, Stephanie E Reyes, Andrew J Mazzoli, Vahe Heboyan, Gianluca De Leo
2017
Interprofessional education (IPE) improves collaboration and patient care through joint education between health professions. Respiratory therapy (RT) faculty were surveyed to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes toward IPE.
Maternal stress predicts postpartum weight retention
Maternal and Child Health JournalKara Whitaker, Deborah Young-Hyman, Marlo Vernon, Sara Wilcox
2014
Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) is a significant contributor to the development of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age. Stress may be a key mechanism making it more difficult for mothers to lose weight in the year following delivery.
Georgia Cancer Center helps local residents access fitness classes to reduce cancer risk
JagwireJanell Williams
2022-09-21
Daily exercise can help reduce the risk of more than 10 forms of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, and a new initiative from the Georgia Cancer Center will help local residents access the tools they need to stay fit.
As a part of the Cancer Health Awareness through screeNinG and Education (CHANGE) Initiative implemented by the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, residents of five local low-income housing complexes completed surveys to voice what they feel is needed in their community to increase healthy living. The goal of the CHANGE Initiative is to educate citizens of Georgia about the prevention of cancer as well as reduce the risk of the disease.
