Press Release: Florida Health Justice Project, a Healthcare Advocacy Nonprofit, Welcomes Attorney Paul Nathanson as New President of Board

Press Release

For Immediate Release:
​July 21, 2020

Media Contacts: Miriam Harmatz, Esq., Executive Director, Florida Health Justice Project;
(786)-558-4950; harmatz@floridahealthjustice.org

Florida Health Justice Project, a Healthcare Advocacy Nonprofit, Welcomes Attorney Paul Nathanson as New President of Board 

(Miami, Florida)—June 21, 2020 - Florida Health Justice Project (FHJP), a nonprofit health advocacy organization based in Miami, Florida, is pleased to announce that attorney Paul Nathanson, a founding board member and nationally renowned elder rights advocate, has been named President of the Board of Directors. 
 
"Paul is an icon in the world of legal services and social justice. There is no one with more wisdom and experience regarding advocacy on behalf of low-income elderly than Paul Nathanson,” said Executive Director Miriam Harmatz. “Particularly now, in the time of COVID-19, and its disparate impact on the elderly and people of color, we’re profoundly grateful for Paul’s indefatigable support of FHJP and our work on behalf of low-income seniors.”
 
Nathanson previously served as an inaugural board member at FHJP and Vice President of the Board. He also serves on the Boards of Justice in Aging, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the National Hispanic Council on Aging. Nathanson, who grew up in Miami and graduated from Beach High, started out his legal career in Los Angeles with the law firm of O’Melveny and Myers. He returned to his home state in 2016. 
 
"One of the most exciting things about 'retiring' to Florida, a swing state with profound challenges— from the lack of Medicaid expansion to the exploding demographic of low-income elderly—is the opportunity to really make a difference by supporting outstanding nonprofit organizations like FHJP.” 
 
Nathanson brings extensive experience and leadership to FHJP in elder and health issues. He is the founder and former executive director of Justice in Aging (formerly the National Senior Citizens Law Center), a national organization dedicated to using the power of the law to fight senior poverty with an emphasis on securing health care and economic security. His association with Justice in Aging spans over 40 years.
 
‘I’ve dedicated my life to helping protect the rights of the poor, in particular the most vulnerable in society—the elderly,” Nathanson said. “I did not hesitate to become a founding board member when Miriam approached me about starting a new nonprofit in Florida in late 2017.”  Nathanson observed that “FHJP, which started with no seed money, has accomplished a tremendous amount in less than three years. FHJP has led the way – from collaborative Medicaid expansion efforts to organizing the state’s first Elder Justice Conference on healthcare access rights of seniors, to creating essential resources for advocates, to serving as lead counsel on systemic litigation.”
 
Nathanson is also the former director of the University of New Mexico Institute of Public Law. Paul is a past president of the American Society on Aging and a founding member of the ABA Commission on Law and Aging. In 2018 ASA honored Paul with its Hall of Fame Award for decades of effective advocacy on behalf of low-income seniors. He has also served as National Secretary of the Gray Panthers and is a past Chair of the Board of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM. Paul is a graduate of Duke University (JD) and the University of Chicago (MCompLaw).
 
“Paul Nathanson is widely recognized throughout the nation for his more than 50 years as an attorney and advocate on behalf of low-income and minority older adults,” says Max Rothman, President and CEO of Alliance for Aging. “His leadership, breadth of knowledge, and experience in addressing legal and policy issues strategically will help lead FHJP successfully into the next decade.” 
 
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Florida Health Justice Project (FHJP) recognizes that access to quality and affordable health care is a human right and engages in comprehensive advocacy to expand healthcare access and promote health equity for the most vulnerable.  FHJP is part of the Medicaid Matters for Florida, a coalition spearheaded by Florida Voices for Health, Florida Policy Institute and FHJP. The coalition is focused on building a learning community of partner organizations in support of expanding Medicaid to adults with low income.  www.floridahealthjustice.org
 
 
 
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