New statewide collaborative will help mend health care disparity for vulnerable patients

South Carolina residents need more than good medical care to achieve and maintain good health. Research shows that an individual’s health also is influenced by genetics, personal choices and environmental factors and that social determinants play a major role in health disparities. A $1.025 million, three-year grant from The Duke Endowment to the University of South Carolina will help address these issues for vulnerable patients in the state. With funding from the grant, UofSC’s Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal PartnerShip (CHAMPS) and the Greenville Medical-Legal Partnership (GMLP) will join forces to create The South Carolina MLP Collaborative. The collaborative aims to improve patient and population health by eliminating legal barriers that families may face when seeking medical care.

Medical-legal partnerships pair doctors with lawyers who provide free legal help for matters such as improving access to government-provided benefits, resolving guardianship issues and working with landlords to improve living conditions, with a goal of increasing positive health outcomes.

Since its launch in 2017, CHAMPS has worked with 140 cases to help resolve legal issues that were impeding a patient’s health. GMLP has assisted with 209 cases since its launch in 2016.