Kara Bischoff, MD

Associate Professor

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.
Education
2018 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Chief Residency, 2014 - , University of California, San Francisco
Fellowship, 2014 - , University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 2012 - , University of California, San Francisco
Internship, 2010 - , University of California, San Francisco
MD, 2009 - , Harvard Medical School
BA, 2004 - , Stanford University
Honors and Awards
  • Quality of Care Research Award: Palliative Care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), ALS Association, 2024
  • Highest Rated Improvement Initiative for Embedded Palliative Care in ALS, UCSF Health Improvement Symposium, 2021
  • Abstract Achievement Award, American Society of Hematology, 2020
  • Top Doctors Award for Recognition of Excellence, Marin Magazine, 2019
  • Outstanding Achievement of Reducing Unnecessary Utilization, UCSF Value Improvement, 2019
  • Best Commitment to Patient Satisfaction, UCSF Value Improvement, 2018
  • Outstanding Resident Teaching Award, UCSF, 2017
  • Grant Awardee, Stupski Foundation, 2016
  • Case Presentation Poster Award, AAHPM, 2014
  • Quality Week Celebration Award, UCSF, 2014
  • Paper of the Month, Cicely Saunders Institute, 2013
  • Chief Residency, UCSF, 2012-2013
  • Quality and Safety Innovation Challenge Award, UCSF, 2012
  • Distinguished Professor of Geriatrics Award, Society of General Internal Medicine, 2011
  • Thayer Award, Harvard Medical School, 2009
  • First Place Clinical Science Oral Presentation, AMA Student Research Forum, 2008
  • Firestone Award for Excellence in Research, Stanford University, 2004
Publications

  1. Calton BA, Nouri S, Davila C, Kotwal A, Zapata C, Bischoff KE. Strategies to Make Telemedicine a Friend, Not a Foe, in the Provision of Accessible and Equitable Cancer Care. Cancers 2023. PMID: 37958296


  2. Tsang M, Bischoff KE, Schoenbeck KL, Berry K, O'Riordan D, Fakhri B, Wong SW, Shah N, Olin RL, Andreadis C, Vieaux J, Cohen E, Shepard Lopez N, Mannis GN, Rabow M. Value of embedded palliative care: outpatient palliative care and healthcare utilization for hematologic malignancies. Blood advances 2023. PMID: 36809787


  3. Bischoff KE, Vanegas G, O'Riordan DL, Sumser B, Long J, Lin J, Berkey AR, Kobayashi E, Zapata C, Rabow MW, Pantilat SZ. A Systematic Approach to Assessing and Addressing Palliative Care Needs in an Outpatient Population. Journal of pain and symptom management 2023. PMID: 37380147


  4. Digitale JC, Nouri SS, Cohen EL, Calton BA, Rabow MW, Pantilat SZ, Bischoff KE. Differential Use of Outpatient Palliative Care by Demographic and Clinical Characteristics. Journal of pain and symptom management 2023. PMID: 37084827


  5. Leiter RE, Bischoff KE, Carey EC, Gelfand SL, Iyer AS, Jain N, Kramer NM, Lally K, Landzberg MJ, Lever N, Newport K, O'Donnell A, Patel A, Sciacca KR, Snaman JM, Tulsky JA, Rosa WE, Lakin JR. Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Delivering Specialty-Aligned Palliative Care. Journal of palliative medicine 2023. PMID: 37001173


  6. Zapata CB, Dionne-Odom JN, Harris HA, Kalanithi L, Lin J, Bischoff K, Fazzalaro K, Pantilat SZ. Honoring What We Say We Do: Developing Real-World Tools for Routine Family Caregiver Assessment and Support in Outpatient Palliative Care. Journal of palliative medicine 2023. PMID: 36608316


  7. Rohlfing AB, Bischoff KE, Kolaitis NA, Kronmal RA, Kime NA, Gray MP, Bartolome S, Chakinala MM, Frantz RP, Ventetuolo CE, Mathai SC, De Marco T, PHAR investigators. Palliative care referrals in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: The Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry. Respiratory medicine 2022. PMID: 36470050


  8. Bischoff KE, Lin J, Cohen E, O'Riordan DL, Meister S, Zapata C, Sicotte J, Lindenfeld P, Calton B, Pantilat SZ. Outpatient Palliative Care for Noncancer Illnesses: One Program's Experience with Implementation, Impact, and Lessons Learned. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID: 35442773


  9. Bischoff KE, Lin J, Cohen E, O’Riordan D, Meister S, Zapata C, Lindenfeld P, Calton B, Pantilat SZ.. Outpatient Palliative Care for Non-Cancer Illnesses: One Program’s Experience with Implementation, Impact & Lessons Learned "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID:


  10. Fahrner-Scott K, Zapata C, O'Riordan DL, Cohen E, Rosow L, Pantilat SZ, Lomen-Hoerth C, Bischoff KE. Embedded Palliative Care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Pilot Program and Lessons Learned. Neurology. Clinical practice 2022. PMID: 36157626


  11. Deng LX, Bischoff KE, Kent DS, O'Riordan DL, Pantilat SZ, Lai JC. Frailty is strongly associated with self-reported symptom burden among patients with cirrhosis. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology 2021. PMID: 33731588


  12. Deng LX, Kent DS, O'Riordan DL, Pantilat SZ, Lai JC, Bischoff KE. Symptom Burden Is Associated with Increased Emergency Department Utilization among Patients with Cirrhosis. Journal of palliative medicine 2021. PMID: 34348042


  13. Fahrner-Scott K, Zapata C, O’Riordan DL, Cohen E, Rosow L, Pantilat SZ, Lomen-Hoerth C, Bischoff KE.. Embedded Palliative Care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Pilot Program and Lessons Learned "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2021. PMID:


  14. Bischoff KE, Choi S, Su A, Cohen E, O'Riordan DL, Oettel E, Blachman M, Meister S, Zapata C, Lindenfeld P, Calton B, Witt L, Pantilat SZ, Shah RJ. Better Together: A Mixed-Methods Study of Palliative Care Co-Management for Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease. Journal of palliative medicine 2021. PMID: 34115958


  15. Calton B, Shibley WP, Cohen E, Pantilat SZ, Rabow MW, O'Riordan DL, Bischoff KE. Patient and Caregiver Experience with Outpatient Palliative Care Telemedicine Visits. Palliative medicine reports 2020. PMID: 34223495


  16. Smith GM, Calton BA, Rabow MW, Marks AK, Bischoff KE, Pantilat SZ, O'Riordan DL. Comparing the Palliative Care Needs of Patients Seen by Specialty Palliative Care Teams at Home Versus in Clinic. Journal of pain and symptom management 2020. PMID: 33246071


  17. Calton BA, Bischoff K, Pantilat SZ. "I Just Need to Hold His Hand": Telemedicine Is Powerful, But Not Perfect. Journal of palliative medicine 2020. PMID: 33147095


  18. Bischoff KE, Zapata C, Sedki S, Ursem C, O'Riordan DL, England AE, Thompson N, Alfaro A, Rabow MW, Atreya CE. Embedded palliative care for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a mixed-methods pilot study. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 2020. PMID: 32285263


  19. Liu AY, O'Riordan DL, Marks AK, Bischoff KE, Pantilat SZ. A Comparison of Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure and Cancer Referred to Palliative Care. JAMA network open 2020. PMID: 32101304


  20. Schoenherr LA, Bischoff KE, Marks AK, O'Riordan DL, Pantilat SZ. Trends in Hospital-Based Specialty Palliative Care in the United States From 2013 to 2017. JAMA network open 2019. PMID: 31808926


  21. Ufere NN, O'Riordan DL, Bischoff KE, Marks AK, Eneanya N, Chung RT, Jackson V, Pantilat SZ, El-Jawahri A. Outcomes of Palliative Care Consultations for Hospitalized Patients with Liver Disease. Journal of pain and symptom management 2019. PMID: 31326503


  22. Bischoff K, Yang E, Kojimoto G, Shepard Lopez N, Holland S, Calton B, Adkins SH, Cheng S, Miller BJ, Rabow MW. What We Do: Key Activities of an Outpatient Palliative Care Team at an Academic Cancer Center. Journal of palliative medicine 2018. PMID: 29431580


  23. Bischoff K, O'Riordan DL, Marks AK, Sudore R, Pantilat SZ. Care Planning for Inpatients Referred for Palliative Care Consultation. Volume 178 of Issue 1. JAMA internal medicine 2018. PMID: 29159371


  24. Bischoff KE, O'Riordan DL, Fazzalaro K, Kinderman A, Pantilat SZ. Identifying Opportunities to Improve Pain Among Patients With Serious Illness. Journal of pain and symptom management 2017. PMID: 29030211


  25. Bischoff K, Anderson W, Pantilat SZ. A Video Is Worth a Thousand Words. Journal of hospital medicine 2017. PMID: 28914286


  26. Pantilat SZ, Marks AK, Bischoff KE, Bragg AR, O'Riordan DL. The Palliative Care Quality Network: Improving the Quality of Caring. Journal of palliative medicine 2017. PMID: 28384070


  27. Kamal AH, Harrison KL, Bakitas M, Dionne-Odom JN, Zubkoff L, Akyar I, Pantilat SZ, O'Riordan DL, Bragg AR, Bischoff KE, Bull J. Improving the Quality of Palliative Care Through National and Regional Collaboration Efforts. Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center 2015. PMID: 26678966


  28. Rabow MW, Dahlin C, Calton B, Bischoff K, Ritchie C. New Frontiers in Outpatient Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer. Volume 22 of Issue 4. Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center 2015. PMID: 26678973


  29. Bischoff K, Currow DC, Corvera C, Pantilat SZ.. Unanswered Questions in Malignant Bowel Obstruction Journal of palliative care 2014. PMID:


  30. Bischoff K, Shah SM, Dhaliwal G, Hollander H. A heart-breaking case of fever and rash. Journal of general internal medicine 2014. PMID: 24687288


  31. Bischoff KE. Response letter to Thomas Finucane, MD. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2013. PMID: 24219220


  32. Bischoff K, Weinberg V, Rabow MW. Palliative and oncologic co-management: symptom management for outpatients with cancer. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 2013. PMID: 23794100


  33. Bischoff K, Goel A, Hollander H, Ranji SR, Mourad M. The Housestaff Incentive Program: improving the timeliness and quality of discharge summaries by engaging residents in quality improvement. BMJ quality & safety 2013. PMID: 23704085


  34. Bischoff KE, Sudore R, Miao Y, Boscardin WJ, Smith AK. Advance care planning and the quality of end-of-life care in older adults. Volume 61 of Issue 2. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2013. PMID: 23350921


  35. Ajijola OA, Macklin EA, Moore SA, McCarty D, Bischoff KE, Heist EK, Picard M, Ruskin JN, Dec GW, Singh JP. Inpatient vs. elective outpatient cardiac resynchronization therapy device implantation and long-term clinical outcome. Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology 2010. PMID: 20852289


  36. Bischoff K, Ballew AC, Simon MA, O'Reilly AM. Wing defects in Drosophila xenicid mutant clones are caused by C-terminal deletion of additional sex combs (Asx). PloS one 2009. PMID: 19956620


  37. Gottlieb D, Schwartz ML, Bischoff K, Gauvreau K, Mayer JE. Predictors of outcome of arterial switch operation for complex D-transposition. The Annals of thoracic surgery 2008. PMID: 18442569


  38. Bischoff K, López C, Shaffer K, Schwaitzberg S. Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Abdominal Wall Cellulitis Radiology Case Reports 2008. PMID: