UMass Memorial Medical/Legal Partnership

By Jamie Cetrone | Categories: | Comments Off on UMass Memorial Medical/Legal Partnership

The partnership of the UMass Memorial Legal Department and Community Legal Aid, Inc. (CLA) assists low income, Medicaid-eligible families in addressing socially complex living conditions that adversely affect health. Recently, CLA was a key partner in the pediatric asthma prevention pilot program, a model that has expanded into a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, citywide intervention. The relationship targets patients and leverages pro bono services with several law firms and volunteer lawyers to address the multiple social factors that impact patient health. Recognizing that the most vulnerable populations require a much broader intervention that goes beyond medical care, the program screens patients at three community-based clinics about social determinants of health: access to fresh food, home environment, employment and educational attainment. Through CLA training and support, the dedication of clinical staff and a shared vision, UMass is working to change lives.

Through this collaboration with Community Legal Aid, Inc. (CLA) the activities of the Medical-Legal Partnership will be integrated into several UMass Memorial primary care clinical sites serving low-income, Medicaid-eligible populations in central Massachusetts.

Since its launch in 2016, the program has served approximately 70 people annually.