88 East Newton Street, Vose 5
Boston, MA 02118
Partnership News
Friday, November 14, 2008
MLPC authored a comment in the November 8th edition of The Lancet, “Medical-Legal Partnerships:
Transforming Health Care”...
Saturday, November 8, 2008
"Doctors, especially those who care for patients on low incomes, are frustrated that their patients’ health is adversely affected by social determinants. For those patients with an acute or chronic illness, social determinants undercut the effectiveness of the burgeoning number of drugs and other treatments. Although this problem is usually considered a public health issue, experience in the USA and abroad suggests a new way to transform the health-care system to address these social determinants: train lawyers to work as part of the health-care team to enforce the laws and regulations that are in place to protect health..."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice article highlights medical-legal partnership as an intervention that improves health and reduces disparities.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Medical-Legal Partnerships Pro Bono Support Project: Pro Bono as a Healing Art -- The American Bar Association (ABA) Enterprise Fund has funded the Medical-Legal Partnerships Pro Bono Support Project to coordinate an ABA-based national support center to further extend the reach of mlp by engaging the private bar in supporting the model. It is a joint project of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, the Health Law Section, the AIDS Coordinating Committee and the ABA Center on Children and the Law.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Article by National Center Medical Director Megan Sandel in real estate magazine outlining the connection between housing and health, the role of landlords and property owners in keeping people healthy, and the impact of medical-legal partnership.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Calling all EJW, Skadden and AmeriCorps Fellows! MLPC is organizing a conference call to connect EJW,
Skadden and AmeriCorps Fellows currently working with medical-legal partnerships. People currently in
the application process are welcome to join!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Dr. Barry Zuckerman has been awarded the C. Anderson Aldrich Award by the American Academy of
Pediatrics, which recognizes the outstanding contribution by a physician in the field of child development...
Friday, September 19, 2008
MLPC hosted the Law and Health Initiatives Coordinator for the Internal Renaissance Foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine) for an internship in August. IRF is part of the Open Society Institute, and the Law and Health Initiatives (LAHI) supports collaborations between health and legal practitioners with a view to advancing mutually shared goals of human rights, human dignity, and open society. One strategic area of LAHI is integrating legal and paralegal services into health care. During her visit, Mariya Vynnytska shared the progress of medical-legal partnership in the Ukraine.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Health Law Partnership in Iowa received its second grant of $30,000 from the Iowa Bar Foundation! Iowa Legal Aid and approximately 30 other LSC-funded programs participate in medical-legal partnerships in more than 20 states.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The next call in the I-HELP training series is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th at 12pm-1pm
EDT and will focus on how to train medical partners on housing advocacy. A 30 minute sample
presentation will be followed by a 30 minute discussion of training techniques and strategies for training
providers.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Article on the medical-legal advocacy screening questionnaire (MASQ) developed and studied by the Family Advocates of Central Massachusetts in Worcester, MA...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Calling all family medicine doctors! In September, Ed Paul, MD, a MLPC Assistant National Medical Director, and Carlos Gonzales, MD, both from the Tucson Family Advocacy Program will be presenting the resolution adopted by the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians to the American Academy of Family Physicians...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Medical-Legal Partnership for Children’s National Center (MLPC) announced today that, thanks to funding from the W.K. Kellogg and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations, it will distribute $140,000 to medical-legal partnerships in 12 states to introduce and integrate legal service delivery in medical settings for vulnerable families nationwide.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Hartford MLPP receives RWJ grant! The Medical-Legal Partnership Project was awarded a three year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund its Immigrants and Refugees: New Arrivals Advocacy Project (IRNAAP). IRNAAP is designed to improve health and educational outcomes for Hartford’s newest immigrants and refugees. IRNAAP was recognized as one of RWJ’s ten “Fresh Ideas” grantees. Congratulations to legal director Jay Sicklick, medical director Paul Dworkin, IRNAAP lead attorney Nhi Tran and the team at MLPP!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Save the Date! The Capacity and Sustainability Working Group will be hosting a conference call on health
care recovery dollars on Wednesday, September 17th EDT. Presentations from the teams at San
Diego Benefits Advocacy Project (San Diego, CA) and Land of Lincoln Law and Health Project (Carbondale,
IL) will be followed by a discussion of how partnerships can implement this work into their practice.
Randye Retkin from LegalHealth in NYC will moderate.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Save the Date! We are very excited to announce the 2009 MLP National Summit will be held on March
26 and March 27 in Cleveland, OH, home of the Community Advocacy Program. For the first time,
MLPC will be combining plenary sessions with partnership site led break-out sessions. A call for session
proposals will be issued in late June. Stay tuned for hotel, session and poster session details!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Ranie Thompson, JD, Legal Director of MLPC | New Orleans, has been awarded funding from Latham &
Watkins LLP to extend her health care fellowship and continue her work at the medical-legal partnership.
Congratulations!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Op-ed from the American Bar Association President on Law Day’s 50th Anniversary...
Friday, May 2, 2008
Anne Ryan, JD, and Ed Paul, MD of the Tucson Family Advocacy Program (TFAP) were featured in The
Arizona Star for their work with TFAP and Ryan was also featured in the Tucson Citizen!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Medical-legal partnership was featured on public radio’s “Marketplace” program last week. The story highlights MLPC | Boston and the Peninsula Family Advocacy Program in San Mateo, CA.
Partnership Resources
May 19, 2009 - 3:29pm
Article concludes that children’s asthma is associated with reduced parental employment among single parents and increased welfare receipt among single- and 2-parent families. These associations with children’s asthma may have implications for policy makers interested in increasing employment and decreasing welfare use.
CITATION:
The Association of Childhood Asthma with Parental Employment and Welfare Receipt. Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association. Winter 2002. LA Smith, JL Hatcher & R Wertheimer.
February 17, 2009 - 10:42pm (Updated: February 17, 2009 - 11:00pm)
Each year, the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership surveys partnership sites across the country on a range of topics from funding to evaluation to program challenges.
The 2008 medical-legal partnership site survey report shares data from 54 partnerships in the MLP Network.
May 19, 2009 - 2:20pm
Article examines advocacy as part of residency training:
There is a place for advocacy training in pediatric residencies if the focus is on learning techniques that make one more effective in supporting a cause or causes.
CITATION:
Advocacy is Not a Specialty.
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2005; 159:892. AB Bergman.
February 18, 2009 - 1:36am
The National Center evaluates the health impacts of public policies outside of the traditional health domain, such as utility access and housing subsidies for medically ill low-income people. CHIAs offer an objective, evidence- and experience- based method through which to evaluate the implications of policy, regulations, and legislation for children's health and well-being.
January 29, 2009 - 7:25pm
In December 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics passed a resolution in support of medical-legal partnership, encouraging members to partner with legal services providers.
January 29, 2009 - 7:23pm
In August 2007, the American Bar Association passed a resolution in favor of medical-legal partnership, praising their holistic approach to health and advancement of preventive law.
January 20, 2010 - 10:37pm (Updated: January 20, 2010 - 11:02pm)
There is currently strong language in the House healthcare reform bill for an MLP federal demonstration project. During this webinar, Ellen Lawton, executive director of the National Center and partners from the Podesta Group, provide an update on the status of the bill and outline strategies for Congressional outreach.
A second webinar will be offered specifically for MLP Capitol Hill Day participants.
Please note that there was a ten-minute audio glitch during this webinar that has been edited out. The attached PDF slides have the information that was skipped.
February 18, 2009 - 12:04am
In March 2008, the National Center and MLP | Boston conducted a legal needs assessment in Boston Medical Center's pediatric emergency department. This was one of the first studies to conduct an assessment of legal needs of a hospital-based population in which factors that may affect access to or utilization of legal assistance are also measured. The IRB approved study included a two part-survey -- a self-administered survey in the waiting room and a follow-up phone interview.
December 9, 2009 - 8:32pm (Updated: January 13, 2010 - 11:41am)
The law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP recently adopted a clinic at the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center. Working with Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston, pro bono attorneys from Ropes & Gray now staff the legal clinic at Dorchester House.
The webinar explores how medical-legal partnerships can work with private law firms to build infrastructure for health center adoption.
Presenters: Danielle Pelfrey Duryea, Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP
Michelle Garvin, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP
Samantha Morton, Executive Director, Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston
Rosalyn Garbose Nasdor, Pro Bono Coordinator, Ropes & Gray
Kelly Scott-Flood, Attorney, American Bar Association
February 17, 2009 - 10:59pm
The National Center is developing a framework for conceptualizing how unmet legal needs affect health and developmental outcomes for children and families. The framework will provide an adaptable logic model that links program activities to the mechanisms through which disparities may develop and through which the program can effect positive change.
The emerging framework draws on a variety of efforts including this 2007 concept mapping project by Cornell University and MLP | Boston and related localized projects and academic papers.
February 17, 2009 - 11:20pm
The first part of the study was this self-administered survey offered to all adults in the waiting area who are the parent or guardian of a child being seen as a patient in the department. Those who completed the self-administered survey were invited to participate in a follow-up telephone interview in which subjects are asked to respond to questions related to the social and legal concerns identified in the self-administered survey.
May 19, 2009 - 3:20pm (Updated: May 19, 2009 - 3:31pm)
Study concluded that welfare recipients and applicants with chronically ill children face substantial barriers to employment, including high child health care use rates and missed work. The welfare reform reauthorization scheduled to occur later in 2002 should address
the implications of chronic child illness for parental employment.
CITATION:
Employment Barriers Among Welfare Recipients and Applicants with Chronically Ill Children. American Journal of Public Health. 2002; 92 (9): 1453-1457. LA Smith, D Romero, PR Wood, NS Wampler, W Chavkin & PH Wise.
February 18, 2009 - 1:38am
The National Center evaluates the health impacts of public policies outside of the traditional health domain, such as utility access and housing subsidies for medically ill low-income people. CHIAs offer an objective, evidence- and experience- based method through which to evaluate the implications of policy, regulations, and legislation for children's health and well-being.
May 19, 2009 - 12:11pm
ABSTRACT:
Urban children and families reported a significant burden of healthrelated social problems yet infrequent pediatric screening or referral for these problems. Of families who reported receiving referrals, a majority contacted the recommended agencies and found them helpful. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of using a computer-based questionnaire to identify health-related social problems in a routine outpatient clinic setting.
CITATION:
Families’ Health Related Social Problems and Missed Referral Opportunities. Pediatrics. 2007; 119; e1332-e1341. Eric Fleegler, et. al.
April 15, 2010 - 10:27pm
To successfully partner with one another, lawyers and healthcare providers must first learn how the other profession works. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of working at an MLP.
This webinar is designed as a primer for MLP attorneys. It provides organizational charts for hospitals and health centers and an overview of where vulnerable people receive their healthcare. Panelists discuss key roles in the healthcare system, offer suggestions of training venues to target, and highlight key terminology.
Presenters:
- Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, Medical Director, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
- Ellen Lawton, Esq., Executive Director, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
- Bob Pettignano, MD, Director, Medical Affairs, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spaulding and Medical Director, HeLP
January 29, 2009 - 6:16pm
White paper on how medical-legal partnerships can utilize health care recovery dollars as a funding strategy.
May 19, 2009 - 3:08pm
ABSTRACT:
The United States is a highly mobile society, with family relocation rates double those of Great Britain and Germany. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of frequent family moves on reported rates of delay in growth or development, learning disorders, school failure and frequent behavioral problems in U.S. school-age children.
CITATION:
Impact of Family Relocation on Children's Growth, Development, School Function, and Behavior.
The Journal of the American Medical Association. September 15, 1993; 270(11). David Wood, MD, MPH, et. al.
May 19, 2009 - 2:31pm
In the effort to create effective policies and programs to address social disparities in health, allies outside the health sector are crucial. Letter to the editor highlights the inclusion of attorneys as part of the public health team.
CITATION:
It Takes Lawyers to Deliver Health Care. American Journal of Public Health. 2005; 95: 245 - 249. ME Northridge.
May 19, 2009 - 3:13pm
ABSTRACT:
This study examined the knowledge of and application for health-related welfare program provisions among beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions. Welfare beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions show limited knowledge and use of program provisions, placing them at risk for penalties or benefit termination.
CITATION:
Knowledge of Welfare Reform Program Provisions Among Families of Children with Chronic Conditions.
American Journal of Public Health. 2002; 92 (2):228-230. LA Smith, PH Wise, NS Wampler.
August 25, 2010 - 6:29pm
In July 2010, the Medical-Legal Partnership for Health Act was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Two identical bills were introduced calling for a federal demonstration project for MLP.
In this webinar, Ellen Lawton, NCMLP's Executive Director, and Kevin Kappel, Manager of Government Strategies for ML Strategies, share next steps for the bill and MLP Network outreach.
January 28, 2009 - 7:02pm
National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership communications consultant Karen Schwartzman outlines strategies for utilizing the media and establishing good relationships with the press.
January 28, 2009 - 6:36pm
Sample job descriptions for a range of medical-legal partnership "medical champion" positions including:
- Local Medical Director
- Community Health Center Clinical Liaison
- Medical Director of Training and Education
- Nurse Champion
- Social Work Champion
Most partnerships begin with a Local Medical Director. It is recommended that a partnership site’s Medical Director has at least .10 FTE protected time dedicated to the partnership.
May 19, 2009 - 12:34pm (Updated: May 19, 2009 - 12:35pm)
Article offers overview and innovations of the medical-legal partnership model.
CITATION:
Medical-Legal Partnerships: From Surgery to Prevention? Management Information Exchange Journal. Spring 2007; 1-7. Ellen Lawton.
May 19, 2009 - 11:24am (Updated: May 19, 2009 - 11:25am)
Comment in The Lancet on medical-legal partnership.
Doctors, especially those who care for patients on low incomes, are frustrated that their patients' health is adversely affected by social determinants. For those patients with an acute or chronic illness, social determinants undercut the effectiveness of the burgeoning number of drugs and other treatments. Although this problem is usually considered a public-health issue, experience in the USA and abroad suggests a new way to transform the health-care system to address these social determinants.
CITATION:
Medical-Legal Partnerships: Transforming Healthcare. The Lancet. 8 November 2008; 372(9650): 1615-1617. Zuckerman, B, Sandel, M, Lawton, E, Morton, S.
February 17, 2009 - 11:38pm
Satisfaction is an important measure of quality of program activities and can be useful in making improvements to the delivery of services. Developed by the New England Regional Medical-Legal Network in 2005, this form may be used to gather feedback from clients following their involvement in the program.
December 9, 2009 - 5:31pm (Updated: January 13, 2010 - 11:30am)
This webinar examines the language currently in the House healthcare reform bill for a medical-legal partnership federal demonstration project. It is specifically designed for Ohio partnerships.
Presenter: Ellen Lawton, Esq., Executive Director, National Center for MLP
February 18, 2009 - 1:30am
The Systemic Advocacy Working Group compiled this grid of medical-legal partnership systemic innovations from sites nationwide as a resource for the MLP Network.
February 18, 2009 - 2:02am
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice article highlights medical-legal partnership as an intervention that improves health and reduces disparities. An excerpt:
The Medical-Legal Partnership model developed by the Boston Medical Center shows
promise for improving care and enhancing the management of disease...The addition of
lawyers to the medical team can promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to
the effective care and management of illness by screening patients and their families for
social problems that can affect their medical care, assisting in the resolution of specific
social problems and enhancing the effectiveness of advocacy by the entire healthcare
team.
Moving Upstream: How Interventions That Address the Social Determinant of Health Can Improve Health and Reduce Disparities. Journal of Public Health Management Practices. November 2008; 14(6) Supplement: S8-S17. David R. Williams, et. al.
April 19, 2010 - 1:17pm
In January 2009, the National Center launched a new website designed to encourage more interaction between MLP sites. The new website includes a comprehensive resource library and individual pages for every site in the Network.
This webinar walks members of the MLP Network through the new website, and specifically how to search for resources from other sites and how to upload their programs resources. It also covers how to make updates to member site pages, add news items and sign up for RSS feeds for news, resources and employment opportunities.
Presenter:
- Kate Marple, National Program Coordinator, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
April 2009
May 19, 2009 - 12:52pm
ABSTRACT:
The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University offers several specialized in-house legal clinics. This article focuses on the outreach services of the Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic and the Children’s Advocacy Clinic. These programs provide opportunities for law students to obtain practical experience in a thoughtful and reflective environment and engage the students in community outreach and public policy advocacy. This article reviews the development of the two clinical programs as vital components of an engaged university and further suggest how interdisciplinary collaboration helps to guide their growth.
CITATION:
Partners in Outreach and Advocacy: Interdisciplinary Opportunities in University-Based Legal Clinics
. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. 2006; 11(4): 163-174. Katherine C. Pearson, Lucy Johnston-Walsh.
