In 1993, Barry Zuckerman, MD, head of Boston Medical Center's pediatric department, hired a lawyer for the department to deal with legal issues associated with patients' medical problems. The medical-legal partnership that resulted from his idea is now a national phenomenon, used in nearly 200 hospitals and clinics, with 15 participating law firms. The partnership can help in various ways. For example, lawyers connected to a hospital or clinic might write a letter encouraging a landlord to replace moldy carpeting that's triggering asthma attacks, assist families in getting food stamps and other government benefits, and obtain power of attorney for the parents of a severely disabled child who is turning 18, the Boston Globe reports.
