Improving health outcomes for our patients is heavily dependent on non-medical factors called Social Determinants of Health. Social Determinants of Health are, “conditions in the environment in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age, that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”

One of the factors that can remove barriers to care experienced by low-income individuals is access to qualified legal assistance. In order to help people receive such assistance, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg funded a joint project of Community Health Centers of Pinellas, Bay Area Legal Services, and Gulfcoast Legal Services.

The goal of the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) is to connect low-income patients with chronic medical problems to qualified and affordable legal assistance.

CHCP’s team will identify patients meeting the established project criteria and refer them to Bay Area Legal Services, stationed at Johnnie Ruth Clarke, or Gulfcoast Legal Services, stationed at Clearwater. Participating legal partners will provide necessary professional assistance to qualified and selected CHCP patients with chronic diseases.

The project beginning date is December 2018.