Medical-Legal Partnerships
Medical-Legal Partnerships is an innovative approach to addressing patients' non-clinical determinants of health by providing information and resources.
What is A Medical-Legal Partnership ?
Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate legal services as a direct component of patient care in order to address the determinants of health that clinicians are not equipped to address effectively. By Incorporating lawyers as a direct part of the care team, conditions like housing instability, food insecurity, and immigration issues can be better mitigated. MLPs often include legal services onsite and differ from social services referrals by acting as a direct service provider rather than a connector to external partners with no communication between clinics and the referred service. These partnerships enable holistic patient care by concurrently addressing patients' clinical and social needs.
Connect Oregon
Connect Oregon is a digital platform powered by software known as Unite Us that enables clinicians to refer patients to a vast network of local social services. Connect Oregon integrates the resource list from 211 information, which includes resources like legal aid clinics, housing assistance groups, food pantries, and other social services, to enable referrals by providers to a breadth of support services their patients may need. Visit the
Connect Oregon website or contact the
Oregon Health Leadership Council for more information.
Relevant OMA Policy
The work of medical-legal partnerships is backed by policy action of the OMA Board of Trustees. See OMA's MLP policy here.
MLP Resources
For additional information about MLPs, existing partnerships, and contacts in the MLP space, these resources are a great place to start.
Last updated: July 1, 2025
Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The information, examples, and suggestions presented in this material (though reliable) should not be construed as legal or other professional advice. Before applying this information in legal situations, we recommend you consult with legal counsel or other professional advisors.