WHAT IS A MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP?
Addressing Health-Harming Legal Needs &
Reinforcing the Commitment to Health Equity
A Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) is the integration of medical and legal professionals who work together to improve patient experiences and outcomes. In a Medical-Legal Partnership, medical providers and legal aid lawyers work to address the various medical and legal health needs of patients.
MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS TODAY
Today, the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships (NCMLP) guides "education, research, and technical assistance efforts" to aid health organizations in leveraging available civil legal services.
​
Currently, Medical-Legal Partnerships operate in 46 states and counting.
​
In 2016, 75,000 patients with legal issues harming their health received help from medical-legal partnerships in their state.
​
In 2016, 11,000 health care professionals were trained to recognize and screen patients for health-harming legal needs.
​
In a 2016 survey conducted by NCMLP, of healthcare organizations reporting benefits of MLP services:
-
86% reported improved health outcomes for patients
-
64% reported improved patient compliance with medical treatment
-
38% reported improved ability to perform "at the top of their license"
HISTORY OF MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS
The first recorded case of a formed medical-legal partnership happened in 1993 between Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Greater Boston Legal Services.
​
Boston Medical Center consistently saw cases where pediatric asthma patients repeatedly returned to the hospital.
​
Investigating the cause, the BMC team discovered the underlying problem involved moldy apartment buildings and landlords refusing to comply with sanitary codes.
​
BMC contacted the Greater Boston Legal Services for aid to resolve this legal issue.
​
Fast forward to 2001, a grassroots movement of Medical-Legal Partnerships occurred due to a New York Times article about BMC's partnership.
​
As the number of medical-legal partnerships increased, a need arose for a coordinated effort for resources.
​
To fill this void, the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships (NCMLP) was founded in 2006.
(National Association of Community Health Centers, Community Health Forum, 2014)
​
©2022 by MLP-Illinois. Sponsored by Loyola's Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy