MA Representative James McGovern Delivers Keynote at Massachusetts MLP Conference

Massachusetts Representative James McGovern delivered the keynote address today at the first statewide medical-legal partnership (MLP) conference. McGovern addressed legal and health care professionals from across the Commonwealth gathered to examine how partnering together can improve the health and well-being of 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 Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston and the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. “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.”

Founded at Boston Medical Center in 1993, medical-legal partnership has spread to over 180 hospitals and health centers across the country. In Massachusetts, more than a dozen health clinics have incorporated legal aid attorneys into their healthcare team.

“We’re very grateful that Representative McGovern is helping draw attention to the important work being done by medical-legal partnership programs on behalf of vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth,” said Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham, who oversees the Family Advocates of Central Massachusetts in Worcester. “The congressman’s strong commitment to food security, and his work with medical and legal institutions on this issue, make him an exceptional advocate for Massachusetts’ low-income families and partner for MLP.”

The conference served as an opportunity for established partnerships to share their best practices and for unaffiliated legal and health care professionals to learn about how to effectively integrate medical-legal partnership into their practice. The event took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester.