Dr. Kara Bischoff is the Associate Division Chief for Outpatient Palliative Care and the Medical Director of UCSF's Outpatient Palliative Care Service. She provides palliative care to patients with a range of serious illnesses, including neurologic diseases, heart failure, chronic lung diseases, and cancer. She sees patients in clinic, by video, and in the hospital. In recent years Dr. Bischoff has developed particular expertise in the provision of palliative care to people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She has published substantially and is a national leader in outpatient palliative for people will illnesses other than cancer.

Dr. Bischoff is seeking to ensure that patients of all demographic groups have equal access to palliative care, and that the palliative care provided at UCSF is inclusive for diverse populations. She runs a program called Care Plus that systematically and equitably identifies palliative care needs in a population of patients, and routes patients to appropriate supportive services based on the needs that are identified. She is the Co-Chair of the Quality Committee for the national Palliative Care Quality Collaborative and she leads quality improvement efforts in outpatient palliative care at UCSF. She also teaches medical students, residents, and fellows.

Dr. Bischoff received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, followed by a residency and chief residency at UCSF in Internal Medicine, and a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, also at UCSF. She is an active member of The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the International Neuropalliative Care Society. She is a mother, an outdoor enthusiast, and a Bay Area native.