Social determinants create barriers that prevent families living in poverty from achieving and maintaining good health. Traditional medicine does not cure these social determinants. However, by partnering with lawyers, doctors have an opportunity to make headway against disparities in care, and lawyers have the opportunity to promote health as they represent patients as clients.
In collaboration with UPMC-McKeesport, NLSA established the first medical/legal collaboration in Western Pennsylvania. With funding from the Alcoa Foundation and UPMC, NLSA provides patients at UPMC-McKeesport Hospital with access to an attorney who can help them with legal issues, which if resolved, could improve their medical outcomes. We provide assistance in Protection from Abuse, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income, landlord tenant evictions, mortgage foreclosures, utility terminations, advanced directives, and more.
