The Law and Health Project

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation - 040063

Abstract Number: 040063

December 2004

The Law and Health Project is a collaboration of Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation's (LOL), the Southern Illinois University School of Law (SIU), the Abundant Health Resource Clinic (AHRC) and Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH). All of these institutions share the common mission of providing services to low-income and uninsured persons who do not have private health insurance. Approximately one-sixth of the population served by these institutions are without access to primary care services.

In an effort to increase the availability of primary care and to alleviate some of the financial hardship to local hospitals, SIH became a major backer of AHRC, a free health care clinic available to the un/underinsured people of Jackson County. In addition, SIH owns and operates the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, St. Joseph's Hospital in Murphysboro, Illinois and Herrin Hospital, in Herrin, Illinois. The recognition that legal problems adversely affect the improvement of a patient's health helped the development of the collaborative effort between LOL, SIH, and SIU to address the legal needs of those seeking care at the clinic.

The Law and Health Project's initial effort was a 12-week pilot to determine the extent of the legal needs of AHRC's patients. During these 12 weeks, a law student was available at AHRC to discuss legal problems with AHRC patients, and, if necessary, the patient was then referred directly to an LOL attorney to help them with their legal problem. This pilot was a great success and formed the basis for the request for a VISTA volunteer to continue this work. The Law and Health Project's continued success has lead to having SIU law students use the project as an externship site. With a full-time VISTA Law and Health Coordinator, and an attorney supervisor, the goal in the second year was to build on the success of the first year and to solidify the relationships between LOL, SIH and SIU Elderly Clinic. Additionally, the project has reached out to the community and educated caseworkers and nurses at the SIH facilities in the referral of patients to the Project.

This project has benefited not only the Land of Lincoln's clients but also the healthcare partners. The project received the Medicaid reimbursement rate for $330,000 of services provided to clients in a year and a half. Discussions are now underway between the partners concerning possible expansion of the project, with a greater financial commitment by the healthcare organizations. To learn more, access the full project below as a PDF document.

Contact Information:

Lois Wood
Executive Director
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc.
2420 Bloomer Drive
Alton, IL 62002
Phone: (618) 462-0036
FAX: (618) 462-0043
Client Local: (618) 462-0036
exedir@lollaf.org

Additional Information:

• The Law and Health Project: A Collaborative Effort to Assist Low-Income and Uninsured Individuals ( 63k)

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