A new partnership will help Tampa Bay area military veterans navigate the often difficult and complex Veterans Administration system – from healthcare benefits to education.
USF Health and the
Stetson College of Law have worked together for many years, sharing students, research and a joint Master of Public Health and JD degrees. The new partnership will take this a step further to meet a community need.
The relationship will allow law students to teach medical students how to navigate workers’ compensation and other disability benefits. Medical and physical therapy students will in turn work with law students to help them understand the clinical aspect. Learning teams will be formed with students from both institutions, resulting in a better understanding of both sides of the system.
"The heart of the relationship is to break down the financial, medical and perceived barriers between law and medicine," says Jay Wolfson, PhD., professor of public health and medicine at USF Health. "We’re bringing physicians and other healthcare providers and attorneys together to work toward a common good."
USF health professionals will also provide a second review of difficult cases, which might result in approval of previously denied benefits.
The ultimate goal is to provide a better experience, better assessments and ultimately better quality of care for those who serve or have served.
"Attorneys, law students, medical students, and physicians are being trained toward the goal of being advocates of meeting society’s needs," says Wolfson. "We’re training a new breed of physician and new breed of attorney who think differently. That’s one of the best things we can do as educational institutions."
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