Palm Health Foundation Welcomes New Leadership

September 26, 2026

Dr. Roger L. Duncan III and Elisa Cramer join board of trustees;
Dr. Paul Rashid appointed to Community Investment Committee

Palm Health Foundation today announced the election of two new trustees and the appointment of a new member to its Community Investment Committee. The new leaders bring decades of combined experience in medicine, mental health, youth services, and community advocacy to guide the foundation's mission to inspire and fund solutions for better health in Palm Beach County through community collaboration.

Elisa Cramer, Director of the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, has been elected to Palm Health Foundation's board of trustees, where she also serves on the Community Investment Committee. Her expertise in convening partners and collaboratively solving complex system challenges will strengthen the foundation's efforts to build a culture of health and advance brain health. 


A Certified Public Manager who formerly served in executive statewide child welfare policy development and regional leadership roles for the Department of Children and Families, Cramer oversees the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, which provides mental health residential and outpatient therapy services, violence prevention and intervention, and contracted community-based out-of-school-time and summer programs for the County's youth and families. 


Under her leadership, the Department has earned multiple honors, including the David and I. Lorraine Thomas Child Advocate of the Year Award and multiple National Association of Counties awards, and Cramer has been recognized by Palm Beach County Medical Society Services and the 15th Circuit Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. She co-chairs the Birth to 22: United for Brighter Futures Alliance and the Mental Health, Trauma and Resiliency Action Team, and serves on the boards of the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County and the Community Alliance of Palm Beach County. 


A Spelman College graduate and former Palm Beach Post journalist, she lives in West Palm Beach, FL, with her husband and three sons.

Dr. Roger L. Duncan, III, Vice-Chief of Anesthesia at Palms West Hospital, has been elected to Palm Health Foundation's board of trustees and its Community Investment Committee. Dr. Duncan believes that creating change starts with having a seat at the table, a perspective that will strengthen the foundation’s efforts to build a culture of health. 


Across local and national leadership roles, he has worked with stakeholders to advance the medical profession, serve medically underserved and economically disadvantaged communities, and, for over 30 years, introduced youth to careers in science, aligned with the foundation’s work to strengthen the health professions. His dedication has been honored by the National Medical Association, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, and the Palm Beach County Medical Society, among others.


He is past president of the American Heart Association of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast, Palm Beach County Medical Society, and T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society, and has served on the board of the Allegheny Foundation and Nova Southeastern University's Palm Beach Campus advisory board. 


A graduate of Yale School of Medicine, where he conducted NIH-funded research, Dr. Duncan also worked with a Nobel Prize-winning scientist at the Salk Institute. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Dr. Paul Rashid, lead psychiatrist at Caron Treatment Center in Delray Beach, has been appointed to Palm Health Foundation's Community Investment Committee. His commitment to recovery-oriented treatment for all mental health conditions aligns with the foundation's vision for the Brain Coast and its efforts to strengthen the connections between scientific research, community supports, and quality care to transform brain health. 


Dr. Rashid developed his patient-centered approach during his Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Fellowship for Severe Mental Illness, an experience that inspired his book "Recovery Revolution: A Social Blueprint for Optimal Mental Health." He also wrote "The Red Ram," a comic book addressing anxiety, depression, alcoholism, opioid addiction and suicide.


He earned his medical degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University and completed his residency at West Virginia University, where he served as chief resident. He lives in Boynton Beach.

“Elisa, Dr. Duncan, and Dr. Rashid each bring a distinctive perspective to Palm Health Foundation and our role as a catalyst for innovation and change for better health,” said Palm Health Foundation President and CEO Patrick McNamara. "We are grateful for their leadership, experience, and deep community ties that will help all Palm Beach County residents thrive and reach their full health potential.”

About Palm Health Foundation 
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors, and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $98 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.

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West Palm Beach, Fla. – Palm Health Foundation today announced the election of new officers to serve on its board of trustees. The new leadership brings decades of combined experience in health, community development, law, and philanthropy to guide the foundation's mission to inspire and fund solutions for better health in Palm Beach County through community collaboration.