In the News
Bringing legal help to the sick and poor
Publication date: July 6, 2009
Source: Kansas Health Institute
Author: Dave Ranney
An article released by the Kansas Health Institute features two medical-legal partnerships in which the University of Kansas School of Law is involved: Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care in Kansas City, Kan., and the newly formed Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg.
The Kansas Health Institute wrote:
At first glance, it seems an odd idea: Putting lawyers in safety-net clinics.
The two don't seem to go together.
"There's a whole cats-and-dogs thing when it comes to doctors and lawyers," said Krista Postai, executive director at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg.
...
The clinic’s legal services are underwritten by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Sunflower Foundation and with additional support from Kansas Legal Services and the Kansas University School of Law.
...
The Pittsburg clinic is one of two safety-net clinics in the state that offer legal services. The other is Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care in Kansas City.
"Our goal is to assist people with whatever legal problem they've having at the moment," said Patricia Thomas, staff attorney at the Southwest Boulevard clinic.
Thomas oversees an ever-increasing coterie of KU law students helping out at the clinic.
"In our first semester back in January 2008, we had six,” Thomas said. “This past semester, we had eight; this fall, we have 12 signed up for both semesters.
“What we have, essentially, is a small law practice,” she said.
