Oral

In recent years, pediatricians have been collaborating with lawyers to ensure that families can meet their children’s basic health needs. The Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (MPLC, formerly known as the Family Advocacy Program) combines the strengths of law and medicine to address non-biologic factors (food, housing, education, and safety) known to influence child health. Founded at Boston Medical Center and the Boston University School of Medicine in 1993, MLPC has helped to spread its model to over 50 sites across the country during the past five years. The Breathe Easy at Home program is a collaboration among city agencies, health care providers, and advocacy organizations, to ensure that housing inspections, where warranted because of occupant health issues, are performed quickly and any follow up inspections are performed to make sure substandard conditions are resolved.

Session Objectives: 1. Understand relationship between housing conditions and occupant child health for at least three health issues. 2. Know about local collaborations between doctors and lawyers to improve housing conditions for the purpose of addressing childrens' health issues. 3. Learn about strategies to pay for health-related repairs in low-income housing.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing