Medical-Legal Partnership Medical Champions

 

An engaged medical champion with protected time is key to the development and success of a medical-legal partnership.

 

The job descriptions below are for a range of medical champion positions including a Local Medical Director, a Community Health Center Clinical Liaison and a Medical Director of Training and Education.  Most partnerships begin with a Local Medical Director.  It is recommended that a partnership site’s Medical Director has at least .10 FTE protected time dedicated to the partnership.

 

Local Medical Director (.10 FTE) – Works directly with all MLP staff on the following activities:

 

·         Strategize and provide insight into specific clinical cases, scheduling problems and issues with providers;

·         Provide insight into departmental or infrastructural changes in clinic that would affect MLP interactions with the department;

·         Attend MLP staff meetings weekly;

·         Assist in development of pro bono partnerships for pro bono initiatives, including meeting with pro bono partners and describing clinical examples of positive MLP interactions;

·         Help coordinate MLP presence and access in all clinical areas at hospital or health center;

·         Work with Medical Director of Training and Education to assist in development and implementation of training and educational materials and curricula; and,

·         Supervision of medical students/residents engaged in MLP-related projects and provide leadership for MLP interns who shadow clinicians as part of MLP training.

Health Center Clinical Liaison (.10 FTE) – (Useful particularly if a partnership serves a hospital and health center or multiple health centers)  Works with all MLP staff on the following:

·         Strategize and contact providers at outside health centers to provide insight on specific clinical cases, problems in scheduling and discussions with medical providers;

·         Provide insight or context into CHC departmental or infrastructural changes in clinic that would affect MLP interactions with the CHC through direct contact or contact with Hospital/CHC Liaison;

·         Assist in development of pro bono partnerships for CHC pro bono initiative through meetings and discussions with potential pro bono partners to explain medical-legal partnership benefits from clinical perspective;

·         Attend MLP staff meetings monthly;

·         Help coordinate MLP presence and access in clinical areas at MLP CHCs through meetings or phone calls;

·         Work with MLP Director of Education & Training to assist in development and implementation of training and educational materials and curricula for CHC sites; and,

·         Supervision of medical students/residents engaged in MLP-related projects and provide leadership for MLP interns who shadow clinicians as part of MLP training.

 

Medical Director of Training and Education (.10 FTE) – Shares responsibility with the lawyer in charge of training, educational materials and curricula for the following:

 

·         Development of trainings, educational materials and curricula;

·         Supervision of medical students/residents engaged in training;

·         Research development and co-author academic writings related to education, training and curricula;

·         Help in design and execution of evaluation of curricula and training;

·         National presentations and technical assistance on training and education; and,

·         Outreach to national and local associations regarding training and education.