Indianapolis, March 31, 2011 -- Baker & Daniels LLP recently received national recognition for its efforts working with Wishard Health Services to improve health care disparities by pooling resources provided by doctors, lawyers, social workers and educators.
"As physicians, we recognize the major role that social and environmental factors play in contributing to chronic illness, often impairing our ability to achieve optimal outcomes for our patients," said Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO and medical director of Wishard Health Services. "Through this extraordinary partnership with lawyers who can also serve as powerful patient advocates, we're able to assist patients in making positive changes that will frequently result not only in improved health but in improved quality of life."
Baker & Daniels was recognized for teaming with Wishard and the Indiana Health Advocacy Coalition in launching the first medical-legal partnership (MLP) in Indiana in 2008. MLP is aimed at improving health care for patients through a multi-disciplinary approach by utilizing the skills of doctors, lawyers, social workers and educators to improve a patient's health. The process integrates resources for patients with health care needs requiring social solutions. Understanding a patient's illness is sometimes complicated by problems that require more than what the typical health care provider independently can resolve.
"Improving and expanding access to justice and services for underserved individuals and communities has long been a part of Baker & Daniels' culture," said Tom Froehle, the firm's chair and chief executive partner. "It has been very rewarding to see how this collaborative partnership with medical experts and others has benefited so many in our community and helped them respond to illness and disease."
Specifically, Baker & Daniels, through the Wishard MLP, has worked very closely with EMBRACE to provide end of life legal aid to female cancer patients. EMBRACE is a Wishard program that provides supportive and holistic wraparound services to women undergoing cancer treatment.
"The partnership has allowed us to expand our holistic approach in serving our patients, by offering them a more comprehensive care plan which now includes legal advocacy," said DeAnna Wesley, director of EMBRACE at Wishard. "Having an attorney as a part of the treatment team has significantly improved the outcome for many of our patients."
In addition to Wishard's partnership with Baker & Daniels, other community partners include the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and Indiana Legal Services.