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Medical-Legal Partnership

A Good Idea

Description

In partnership with Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, and generously funded by the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Kansas Legal Services provides legal services to patients who have a legal issue that has a direct impact upon their health. A good example is a landlord who won't abate mold that is making a child sick: the solution to the health problem is a legal intervention. Doctors are urged to screen for legal issues during their social history portion of an exam, with a focus on income supports, housing, employment, and personal safety.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the medical-legal partnership is to improve health outcomes through quality legal services.

Impact

The Medical-Legal Partnership provides legal assistance to patients on issues that directly or indirectly affect health.

Results / Accomplishments

More than 120 families are served by the program each year. Direct health outcomes include access to care (guardianship, powers of attorney, denial of care, and protection from abuse). Indirect health outcomes include improved environmental conditions (clean, mold- and vermin-free home), prevention of homelessness, and implementation of individualized education plans.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Kansas Legal Services and Children's Mercy Hospital
Primary Contact
James Jones
400 State Av, Suite 1015
Kansas City, KS 66101
913-621-0200
jonesj@klsinc.org
http://www.kansaslegalservices.org
Topics
Health / Prevention & Safety
Community / Governance
Community / Domestic Violence & Abuse
Organization(s)
Kansas Legal Services and Children's Mercy Hospital
Date of implementation
2009
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
For more details
http://www.kansaslegalservices.org/node/1127
Target Audience
Children, Families
Submitted By
Sarah Hurd, Kansas Health Institute

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Related Content for: Medical-Legal Partnership

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.
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