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Virginia Medical-Legal Partnership Network


Contact:

Carolyn Pointer, Esq.
carolynp@justice4all.org

Participating Medical-Legal Partnerships:

Current Activities:

On an ongoing basis the VA Network provides technical support to new programs and meets multiple times a year to create common tools, forms, training materials and evaluation instruments.  Recently, the VA Network has:


DATA COLLECTION

  • Developed a statewide data collection tool will allow MLPs in Virginia to collect consistent data across the state about their work.  Data collection was implemented in January 2010.
  • Evaluated current practices used at UVA general pediatric clinics to screen families for social disadvantage.  Providers were more likely to screen at well child visits, but even then, rates of screening were relatively low. This work, “Screening for Social Disadvantage: Opportunities to Improve Social History-Taking in General Pediatric Teaching Clinics,” was presented at the Region IV Academic Pediatrics Annual Meeting in January. This project was funded as part of a HRSA pre-doctoral training grant, and there will be a follow-up project this summer.
  • Evaluated the frequency and prevalence of common legal concerns of the families of pediatric patients in Richmond.

SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY

  • Participated in the annual Pediatric Day at the General Assembly, sponsored by the Virginia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Medical Society of Virginia.  Many of members, including law students, medical students, faculty, and attorneys, attended the advocacy day and educated state legislators on access to health care issues facing Virginia’s children.  MLP Students lobbied for healthier foods and choices for children to combat childhood obesity. This bill successfully reached the desk of the governor to be signed!
  • Developed forms for SSI documentation for children with certain disabling medical conditions in order to facilitate the transfer of necessary information from health care provider to the SSI agency.
  • Carolyn Pointer, CHAP attorney for the Charlottesville program, completed a Teen Healthguide in collaboration with the UVA Teen Health Clinic. This guide, available in print and online, answers teen health questions from confidentiality to mental health.

STUDENT MLP CHAPTERS:

  • Created the first law / medical student group at the Richmond CHAP program.  Students meet monthly lectures regarding different medical-legal topics ranging from medical malpractice, how to lobby with your legislator, expert witness testimony, legal and medical competence, and children’s brain injury tort recovery reimbursement.  Under the supervision of a licensed attorney, students collaboratively engage in a systemic advocacy approach to address any legal or bureaucratic obstacles adversely affecting family health.
  • Charlottesville CHAP is also developing a student MLP chapter.

Websites:

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