Eos Grantees in the News

Program Connects Doctors and Lawyers to Aid the Vulnerable

November 2009

Doctors and lawyers aren’t always the best of friends. But don’t tell that to the Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston (MLP | Boston), an Eos grantee that recently held its first annual conference and brought together Massachusetts legal and medical professionals to share best practices for helping vulnerable patients.

“We’ve seen the impact that lawyers can have on the health and well-being of the children and families we treat,” said Dr. Barry Zuckerman, Chief of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center and founder of MLP | Boston and the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership.

Founded at Boston Medical Center in 1993, the concept of medical-legal partnership has spread to over 180 hospitals and health centers across the country. In Massachusetts, with the help of many key allies such as State Senator Stan Rosenberg, more than a dozen health clinics have incorporated legal aid attorneys into their healthcare teams.

Added Zuckerman, “When lawyers help low-income patients secure access to food, utilities or improved housing conditions, medical treatments are more effective and families are more likely to get and stay healthy.”

More than 100 people gathered in Worcester for the conference, which was keynoted by Congressman James McGovern. The event featured panels on topics such as how best to train doctors in legal principles, strategies for communities without a base of large law firms to provide pro bono services, and research and evaluation techniques. MLP | Boston Executive Director Samantha Morton recalled, “Congressman McGovern talked about how food security can only be accomplished if we work across professional and disciplinary lines.”

To make a real difference for the most vulnerable populations, added Morton, “Hospitals need to see themselves as treating hunger, as well as asthma or cancer.”

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