Legal Services of Greater Miami and West Kendall Baptist Hospital collaborate on new medical-legal partnership
West Kendall Baptist Hospital (WKBH) and Legal Services of Greater Miami have launched Medical-Legal Partnership Miami-Dade (MLP-MD), a collaboration between doctors and lawyers to resolve legal problems that promote better health.
“West Kendall Baptist Hospital and Legal Services are two organizations working to serve the same community, and we are excited about leveraging the impact of our services to holistically resolve issues that directly impact the health of our shared patient/client community,” said Monica Vigues-Pitan, executive director at Legal Services of Greater Miami. “This is even more important during COVID-19 given the unprecedented health risks and financial hardships our community is currently facing.”
The collaboration is funded by the Health Foundation of South Florida, the largest not-for-profit grant-making organization dedicated solely to health in South Florida. This MLP will enable healthcare staff at WKBH to refer patients for legal assessments and advocacy when a non-medical obstacle is identified as adversely affecting the patients’ overall health.
“Legal cases often have a far-reaching impact on an individual’s health and well-being,” according to Legal Services of Greater Miami. ” During this pandemic, the community has become acutely aware of the importance of having a safe home, adequate food and income, access to healthcare, as well as access to a quality education for their children. When an individual is threatened with the loss of any of these life essentials, having access to effective legal advocacy is critical as the legal system is complex and often overwhelming to navigate without a lawyer.”
The collaboration will serve many of the low- and moderate-income patients with chronic conditions that result in hospitalization.
“West Kendall Baptist Hospital and Healthy West Kendall are appreciative of the partnership with The Health Foundation of South Florida and Legal Services of Greater Miami,” said Michelle Mejia, assistant vice president of health promotions & strategic partnerships at West Kendall Baptist Hospital. “This partnership allows us to respond and address socio-economic conditions that get in the way of improved health.”
