Wishard’s role as an advocate for patients and the people of Indianapolis ranges from focusing every patient’s right to quality health care and the full range of treatment options to community outreach advocating for a better Indianapolis.

Wishard Medical-Legal Partnership for Patient Health
This program works to improve health care in Indianapolis by pooling resources provided by doctors, lawyers, social workers and academics. Launched in 2008, the idea behind the new partnership is that sometimes a patient’s illness is caused by a problem that a lawyer could resolve more easily than a health care provider.

Wishard's Medical-Legal Partnership integrates the work of physicians with that of attorneys and social workers to improve environmental conditions that affect the health of the community.

For example, a child with chronic asthma may come in for treatment, only to return to an environment filled with conditions that make his or her asthma worse, such as mold, old carpet or cockroaches. When there is a medical-legal partnership in place, the doctor can call upon an attorney to intervene with the landlord and get the substandard conditions cleaned up. The result is better health for the patient.

Indiana Partnership to Prevent Violent Injury and Death
This organization seeks to create a statewide firearm injury and death surveillance system that will help present an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the gun injuries and deaths that occur in Marion County and ultimately, throughout the state. In 2005, the partnership paired with the Indiana University/ Purdue University School of Law – Indianapolis, Hall Center for Law and Health. Grant funding for the partnership will continue through 2006 from the Joyce Foundation. The partnership receives additional funding from a Clarian Health Values Grant.

Hispanic Health Resources
Statistics show that Hispanics are the fastest growing population in Indianapolis. Wishard has established programs specifically aimed at assisting the Hispanic population, including interpretation, assistance scheduling appointments, prenatal classes and other education programs through the Hispanic Health Resources program, which began in 1995. The overall goal of the program is to improve access to health care for the Hispanic community in Marion County, especially those with limited English skills.