Patricia M. Vanhook
East Tennessee State University, USA
Title: Nurses forming Legal Partnerships to Meet the Needs of the Underserved in Rural America
Biography
Biography: Patricia M. Vanhook
Abstract
The American Bar Association, the formation of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships at George Washington University in Washington, DC and the American Academy of Pediatrics formed the first medical-legal partnership in 2007. Joint resolutions were passed for members to become partners with the other professional colleagues to “address the legal and social issues affecting patient health and well-being.” The American Bar Association resolution led to the creation of the Medical-Legal Partnership Pro Bono Project. In 2015, the East Tennessee State University College of Nursing was awarded a small grant from the National Nurses Consortium to participate in the development of a medical-legal partnership. The Nurse-Led Community Health Center is staffed by Nurse Practitioners who provides health care for the underserved in northeast Tennessee. The patients are diverse and include homeless, migrants, residents of public housing, uninsured, and underinsured. The first need was to identify a legal partner. The Health Center had met staff from the Tennessee Justice Center at a training session and approached them about partnering with them. However, their office is five hours driving time from the Health Center. The team became creative in using technology to link to their partner for the needed services. The team focused on meeting the needs of children as no child in Tennessee should be without insurance. Through the partnership with the Tennessee Justice Center and the Health Center eliminated barriers not only children but all patients facing healthcare access across the state.