Health Family Care Center and Lone Star Legal Aid Launch Medical Legal Partnership
At the Health Family Care Center, physicians and attorneys are coming together with a shared mission: to treat not only the medical conditions of patients, but also the legal and social barriers that can stand in the way of better health.
Through a new Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) between the Health Family Care Center (FCC) and Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA), patients will now have access to free legal services as part of their care. The initiative reflects a growing recognition in health care, health does not exist in a vacuum, and factors such as housing, family stability, employment and access to benefits often shape a person鈥檚 well-being as much as medicine.
Addressing the Roots of Health Challenges
Winston Liaw, M.D., M.P.H., a family physician and chair of health systems and population health at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, has been involved with medical legal partnerships since 2018. He saw firsthand how addressing legal issues could improve health.
鈥淚 have always been interested in the contribution of social risk factors to health,鈥� Liaw said. 鈥淢ost interventions look at how to assess these risk factors and very few actually try to address them. The medical legal partnership is one of the models that attempts to address the social issues that influence health.鈥�
He recalls one case vividly: a patient whose asthma and skin issues were made worse by mold in her apartment. With the help of an MLP attorney, she moved to safer housing, and their hospitalizations decreased significantly. 鈥淗elping someone fight an eviction or resolve unsafe housing is beneficial regardless of any health outcome. But we also see tangible medical benefits,鈥� Liaw explained.
A Wide Range of Legal Support
For patients of the Family Care Center, the partnership with Lone Star Legal Aid means they can access a broad spectrum of civil legal services. From housing issues and evictions to family law, public benefits, workplace protections, and end-of-life planning, the goal is to help patients resolve legal matters that may otherwise worsen stress and compromise health.
鈥淟SLA鈥檚 MLP offers almost any civil legal service,鈥� said Pete Makopoulos-Senftleber, staff attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid. 鈥淭he most common services we see are family law issues like divorce or custody, benefits such as Social Security or Medicaid, and housing issues like landlord disputes. But we also encourage patients to take advantage of services they may not think about, like powers of attorney, wills, and advanced directives. These can be life-changing tools for almost everyone.鈥�
The process is designed to be simple. Patients complete a short authorization form at the clinic. Within days, they receive a call from an LSLA paralegal or intake specialist. If they qualify, they are connected to an attorney for advice or representation at no cost.
Impact on Patients and Community
For many in Houston鈥檚 Third Ward and surrounding neighborhoods, where the FCC is located, the need is great. 鈥淧rivate attorneys are expensive and out of reach for most lower- to middle-income families,鈥� Makopoulos-Senftleber said. 鈥淏y providing free legal services, LSLA鈥檚 MLP gives access to justice for those who otherwise would not have it.鈥�
He pointed to recent cases where LSLA鈥檚 work made an immediate difference: helping a disabled veteran respond to a child support lawsuit, and preparing legal documents to protect three disabled adults in another family. 鈥淚n both cases, the legal help eased stress, provided stability, and allowed patients to focus on their health,鈥� he said.
Building a Healthier, More Fair Community
Clinic leadership sees the MLP as a natural extension of its mission to deliver whole-person care.
鈥淭his partnership is incredibly important, not just for our clinic, but for our patients and the broader community we serve,鈥� said Neena Arora, CEO of the Health Family Care Center. 鈥淗ealth doesn鈥檛 exist in a silo. Many patients face legal challenges that directly impact their well-being. By integrating legal support into the care team, we can address root causes of health issues and improve outcomes in a more holistic way.鈥�
For patients, Arora emphasized, asking for help can be transformative. 鈥淗aving a legal advocate in one鈥檚 corner can ease stress and allow someone to re-align their focus on their health. We鈥檙e here not just to treat symptoms, but to support our patients in their lives.鈥�
Nirmala Maharaj, director of clinical information systems, agreed. 鈥淭his partnership allows us to treat more than just physical symptoms, we鈥檙e now able to address underlying legal and social issues that directly impact health. For the community, it means greater access to stability and support for those who may not otherwise have the means to advocate for themselves.鈥�
Looking Ahead
All partners envision the program growing to serve more patients and have a deeper impact. 鈥淚 picture a community where everyone has equal access to justice, where families are safe and secure, where jobs are fair, homes are safe, and people are prepared for life鈥檚 challenges,鈥� said Makopoulos-Senftleber.
The message, said Arora, is simple but powerful: 鈥淏y bridging the gap between health care and legal services, we鈥檙e building a healthier, more fair community.鈥�