Lita laid the groundwork for the Rural Health Justice Project, one of the state’s first medical-legal partnerships (MLPs). MLPs embed lawyers in healthcare settings to resolve patients’ health-harming legal needs. Lita worked with both Legal Services Alabama (LSA) and the Rural Health Medical Program, Inc. (RHMPI) throughout her fellowship year. Through this project, RHMPI refers eligible patients to LSA for free civil legal assistance. Lita trained lawyers, law students, public health students, and RHMPI’s staff on involving lawyers in the fight against health inequity. She also organized virtual legal clinics, completed intake paperwork for clients, and created promotional materials and legal screening tools. She hopes the Rural Health Justice Project will continue to grow and serve more rural Alabamians over time.

As a result of the program:

• 67 of RHMPI’s staff members have been trained on spotting patients’ health-harming legal needs and how to refer patients to LSA for help.
• Rack cards, posters, and legal screening tools were developed for use in RHMPI’s health clinics to raise awareness of LSA’s services, so RHMPI patients can now access information about LSA’s free civil legal services in any of the health clinics’ waiting rooms.
• 34 students, recent graduates and professors from both law and public health, received training on the medical-legal partnership model; using legal advocacy to address the social determinants of health; and cultural competency when working with rural populations.
• In addition, 3 law student volunteers were trained and assisted with a pro bono legal clinic
• LSA met with 4 prospective clients, and 1 client received estate planning services from LSA.

Through a generous grant from Equal Justice Works, Legal Services Alabama has hired a Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow to continue the Rural Health Justice Project over the summer. LSA continues to collaborate with the Rural Health Medical Program, Inc. to find solutions to the problems of poverty in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

“The Schweitzer Fellowship has introduced me to smart, compassionate people from a wide variety of professions. Each of us brings something different to the table, but we all care deeply about the health and well-being of our communities. I am so thankful that the Schweitzer Fellowship brought us together, and I look forward to supporting one another as Fellows for Life as the years go on.”