Three years in the making, the Health Law Section’s Patient Rights Manual has won recognition by the D.C. Bar as the 2005 Best Section Community Outreach Project. Jane Hyatt Thorpe, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Section, accepted the award on its behalf at the 2005 Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner.

The project involved scores of volunteers who researched and wrote both consumer and practitioner guides, covering 20 health-related subject areas ranging from family planning to funerals. The consumer guide was created to assist residents of the District of Columbia and surrounding areas, many of whom lack access to appropriate medical care, in understanding the services and protections currently available to them under federal, state, and local laws. The companion guide for practitioners provides expanded information on the same topics and includes discussions of applicable legal principles as well as relevant citations.

In addition to the publication’s many individual contributors, the project also benefited from the input of a number of community organizations including the District of Columbia Hospital Association, the Center for Patient Advocacy, the District of Columbia Department of Health, the National Health Law Program, Families USA Foundation, and Bread for the City.