Lael C. Duncan, MD

Healthcare Consultant and Advisor

Background

Dr. Duncan is a board-certified internist, a licensed California physician with experience in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Long Term Acute Care. She completed an internal medicine residency, chief medical residency and infectious disease fellowship in 1998. Dr. Duncan worked in hospital and clinic settings managing patients with complex, multiorgan disease and serious or terminal illness before transitioning to specialize in advocacy, education and the implementation of processes that support person and relationship-centered care.

Recent work.

In 2020 Dr. Duncan set aside her usual work to join the Pandemic Response at Marin County Department of Public Health. After  working briefly as a volunteer she was hired to lead outbreak prevention and response for all long-term care and congregate living sites in Marin County. In this position, Dr. Duncan over saw a team of providers, public health workers and volunteers working together to keep our most vulnerable citizens safe during many long months of crisis and fear.  As the pandemic receded she continued in her role as a Deputy Health Officer leading a team of Infection Control and Outbreak Prevention specialists focused on long-term care and congregate living sites. She is worked to strengthen the quality of care, support effective communication and enhance care processes to improve health outcomes for elders in Marin County, CA. Dr. Duncan retired from the Marin County Department of Public Health in November 2024. Before joining Marin County Dept. of Public Health, Dr. Duncan was the  Consulting Medical Director and a Senior Teaching Faculty for the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California. LCDAdvising is Lael’s passion project. She provides expert, thoughtful, compassionate counseling for individuals and families facing serious health challenges and difficult decisions.

Expertise.

As an expert educator on person-centered end-of-life care, Dr. Duncan presents regularly on topics that include  communication between patients and providers, advance care planning, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and legislation that impacts end-of-life care in California. She has created and delivered curriculum materials for advance care planning and communication initiatives, and also consults and partners with communities and hospital systems to promote person-centered care through advance care planning initiatives at any level. She has been a regular guest speaker and moderator at palliative care focused conferences and is strongly supportive of an integrated, multi-disciplinary, culturally sensitive, person-centered approach to health and wellness.

Based in Northern California, working where there is a need.