NYC Health + Hospitals announced the expansion on Monday, April 29, of free, health-related, legal services for its patients in partnership with LegalHealth, a division of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), which, according to its representatives, “addresses emerging and urgent legal needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.”

 

According to NYC Health + Hospitals, the public hospital system is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. Nearly 5,000 patients accessed legal services at NYC Health + Hospitals in 2023, according to its representatives, who added that the expansion of the medical-legal partnership includes increased staffing, capacity building for increased patient access, and data driven analysis on how legal services can impact patient health.

 

Nichola Davis, MD, MS, vice president and chief population health officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, said she was proud of what she described as the “innovative work and impactful services” delivered to NYC Health + Hospitals’ patients through the medical-legal partnership program. “Having lawyers that can support our clinical teams enable us to comprehensively address difficult issues such as housing instability and immigration, among others,” Davis said. “By addressing these issues, we can remove some of the structural barriers that lead to health inequities. This partnership helps to foster healthier individuals, families, and communities across New York City.”

 

Officials at the public hospital group said patients can access free health-related legal services over the phone or in person at one of 12 brick-and-mortar sites (listed further below) in the health system through a referral by a doctor, social worker, or community health worker. They said the partnership is one of the longest-running and largest medical-legal partnerships in the country, dating back to 2002 and has provided free legal assistance to thousands of New Yorkers seeking help with public benefits, immigration, health insurance, advance planning, and housing, among other legal issues.

 

NYC Health + Hospital officials went on to say that the medical-legal partnership is funded in part by the New York City Council. “Patient advocacy is key to short- and long-term health outcomes, and the Council was proud to invest in the expansion of free legal services for New Yorkers at our city’s public hospitals,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Health is a holistic endeavor, and it’s important that we continue to invest in solutions that advance an ecosystem of care.”

 

The speaker added, “By offering free legal services for issues related to housing and immigration, patients are free to focus solely on their medical recoveries. These services are an important component to helping us combat disparities in health outcomes experienced by many low-income New Yorkers and communities of color. I am proud of our work to create healthier communities, and I look forward to our continued partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) so all New Yorkers can access the care and services they need.”

 

Free onsite legal services are available at the following sites in the health system:

• NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
• NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
• NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull

 

Randye Retkin, director of NYLAG’s LegalHealth division, said at NYLAG, the group aims to increase access to justice at the community level in order to foster systemic change. “Our partnership between LegalHealth and NYC Health + Hospitals crucially brings that access directly to patients in our city’s public hospitals,” she said.

 

“Our dedicated team of attorneys and paralegals working together with NYC Health + Hospitals’ healthcare professionals are a formidable team in addressing health disparities, and the health system continues to be a steadfast partner in developing innovative approaches to addressing health-harming legal needs,” Retkin added. “We are grateful for this expansion of our long held medical-legal partnership to increase our capacity in serving patients of NYC Health + Hospitals.”