Natalia Botella

The Project

Natalia promoted the well-being of low-income cardiac patients in the Charlotte, NC region, through legal education and direct representation in matters stemming, from or impacting their cardiac health.

Need Addressed By Project

On top of battling a serious medical condition, patients facing a cardiac diagnosis often face ancillary legal problems, both during and after hospitalization. These legal problems can have far-reaching consequences. For example, when discharged patients are unable to effectively care for themselves at home due to poor housing conditions or an improper denial of Medicaid in-home care services, these discharged patients are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital with complications. By providing legal assistance to cardiac patients, a medical-legal partnership can ease the burdens they face and provide them with the necessary support and peace of mind to more effectively battle heart disease.

Fellowship Highlights

In the past two years, Natalia has:

• Served 162 clients with legal issues related to their eligibility, for public benefits, including Medicaid, Social Security, the Affordable Care Act, food stamps, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
• The total cash and cash equivalent value of benefits awarded to the clients represented totals an estimated $746,298.18.
• In addition to direct legal work, Natalia has expanded Carolinas Medical-Legal Partnership (CMLP) to include a partnership with Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, with a particular focus on serving patients with congenital heart defects and streamlined referral and intake procedures in order to serve CMLP clients more quickly and efficiently.