by Da-Yea Song
Social determinants that ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of individuals are at times heavily influenced by legal issues. Since 2005, Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy and Law) attorneys have worked closely with Kennedy Krieger Institute faculty members, staff members and trainees to provide patients and families with the resources and care they need. Project HEAL is Maryland’s only comprehensive medical-legal partnership.
Last December, Project HEAL attorneys and trainees developed and sent an online survey to faculty members, staff members and trainees in departments across the Institute to gather information about Project HEAL’s impact. Here are some of the highlighted results:
- 100 percent of survey respondents said families receiving assistance from Project HEAL have better outcomes than those not receiving such assistance. Project HEAL, they said, helps families better succeed in accessing complex services.
- 98 percent of survey respondents said Project HEAL helps improve overall child and family health.
- 100 percent of survey respondents said Project HEAL helps families feel more empowered.
- 99 percent of survey respondents said Project HEAL helps improve continuity of care for children and families.
Project HEAL attorneys advocate for some of Maryland’s most vulnerable children and families by providing low-cost legal services and connecting patients and their families with vital resources.
Da-Yea Song is the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s 2017–2018 Wendy Klag Scholar.
