|
Florida Justice Technology Center Partners With New Florida Health Justice Project (Press Release)2/9/2018
FLORIDA JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY CENTER PARTNERS WITH FLORIDA HEALTH JUSTICE PROJECT TO BUILD NEW HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY WEBSITE The new website will serve to address Florida’s lack of access to quality healthcare for vulnerable populations. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA February 09, 2018 –Florida Health Justice Project (FHJP) has partnered with Florida Justice Technology Center (FJTC) to build a new health advocacy website, marking the official launch of FHJP and its mission. Led by co-founders and healthcare advocates, Miriam Harmatz and Katy DeBriere, FHJP is a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to advocacy that improves health care access and outcomes, including support of Florida’s Medicaid expansion efforts.
Florida has a history of limited access to affordable healthcare for its most vulnerable populations, including seniors, immigrants, individuals with disabilities and children. As a political bellwether state, Florida’s public perceptions of Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA will be a powerful voice in the ongoing national debate over healthcare. Through community outreach and education, technical support and advocacy efforts, FHJP will work in partnership with other advocate groups, policy makers and legal aid services, including the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and Justice in Aging to address healthcare barriers. FHJP’s co-founders are well equipped for the challenge, bringing an impressive combination of knowledge and expertise to the program. A former senior health law attorney at Florida Legal Services, Miriam Harmatz serves on the Board of the National Health Law Program and is one of Florida’s leading Medicaid advocates. In collaboration with local legal services programs, national experts and pro bono attorneys, Miriam has been lead counsel on multiple federal court cases that increased access to medically necessary treatments and due process for Florida’s Medicaid beneficiaries. “Accessing necessary health care can be challenging,” she said, “especially for low-income Floridians. The state’s failure to expand Medicaid has resulted in a lack of resources for healthcare providers and health law advocates are also under-resourced—especially considering the size of the state’s vulnerable populations and their unmet needs. We’re deeply grateful to FJTC for helping us join the collaborative effort to ensure healthcare access.” Katy DeBriere is managing attorney of the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP) and currently serves on the Board of Disability Rights Florida. She was instrumental in developing a statewide medical legal partnership and recently received funding to provide a series of webinars on public benefits programs available to low income Floridians. Having partnered with FJTC in the past, Miriam and Katy turned to the legal technology organization again to create the website for their new nonprofit. FJTC has extensive experience in this area and built the site to showcase FHJP’s mission and the many resources they’ll soon have to offer. “We’re so excited to work with Miriam and Katy,” said Joyce Raby, FJTC’s Executive Director. “This is such an important cause and we’re honored to be part of the solution.” You can see the new website at http://FloridaHealthJustice.org. About Florida Justice Technology Center FJTC is an independent statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, devoted to increasing access to justice through the innovative use of technology. Contact: Joyce Raby 3122 Mahan Drive, Suite 801-202 Tallahassee, FL 32308 Email: joyce@floridajusticetechnologycenter.org About Florida Health Justice Project FHJP is a new nonprofit advocacy organization seeking to improve access to affordable healthcare in Florida through legal advocacy. Contact: Miriam Harmatz Email: Harmatz@floridahealthjustice.org Phone: 786-853-9385 Blanca Mesa Email: mesa@floridahealthjustice.org Phone: 305-794-3392 Comments are closed.
|