Side by Side: Meeting Patients Close to Home

For more than twelve years, PLA’s Medical Legal Community Partnership (MLCP) has helped address the legal problems that often stand in the way of good health.

The program places legal advocates directly inside community health centers across Philadelphia, where they work alongside doctors, nurses, and social workers to identify and resolve issues that affect patients’ well-being. These can include problems with health insurance, unsafe housing conditions, or barriers to accessing income support. What began as a single volunteer attorney has grown into a network serving seventeen sites, including all eight Philadelphia Department of Public Health Centers, two Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospital-based community practices at Einstein Medical Center and Temple Health. By meeting patients where they already receive care, the MLCP makes it easier for families to connect with legal help that can improve both their health and their stability.

The impact of this approach can be life-changing. One MLCP client, who is Deaf and communicates primarily through American Sign Language, had tried for years to report his wages to Social Security but was repeatedly denied an interpreter. As a result, he received a notice claiming he owed nearly $87,000 in overpaid disability benefits. With support from MLCP attorneys, he challenged the decision and ultimately secured a full waiver of the debt after a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Removing that burden restored his financial stability and underscored the importance of language access and patient-centered advocacy right where it is needed. 

Stories like this show how embedding legal advocates in trusted community health settings helps ensure that people receive the support and justice they deserve.