Dear Friend of the Law Foundation,   The Law Foundation’s “Favorites of 2019” continues this week with our health-related selections. You can help us continue to use the law as a tool for change by donating to the Law Foundation today. Your end-of-year support is crucial to increasing access to justice for low-income communities in Silicon Valley.   Learn more about the health-related issues affecting our clients and community by checking out the list below.

Law Foundation’s Favorites of 2019 — Health

55 Steps Based on a true story, this film explores an uphill legal fight for a patient's rights that led to Riese v. St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Care Center. In this case, the California State Court of Appeals declared that patients in involuntary mental health treatment have the right to exercise informed consent in most cases regarding the use of antipsychotic drugs. This case still governs the hearings conducted by the Law Foundation's Patients' Rights Unit and established a legal standard for determining capacity to refuse psychiatric medications that are used nationally and around the world. Watch here.

The Problem with Race-Based Medicine Social justice advocate and law scholar Dorothy Roberts has a precise and powerful message: Race-based medicine is bad medicine. Even today, many doctors still use race as a medical shortcut. They make important decisions about things like pain tolerance based on a patient's skin color instead of medical observation and measurement. In this talk, Roberts lays out the lingering traces of race-based medicine — and invites us to be a part of ending it. Watch here.

‘What The Health?’: All About Medicaid  Medicaid, the joint federal-state health program for people with low incomes, serves more than 70 million people, covers 1 in every 5 births in the U.S., and foots more than half the nation’s bill for long-term care. Understanding Medicaid isn’t easy, but with plans to overhaul the health system back in the news, it’s critical. Listen here.

Race Equity Spotlight “There There” by Tommy Orange This creative and colorful novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. This novel interweaves history, intergenerational trauma, and systemized oppression, while bringing characters to life. Learn more.

We hope this week's Faves help you better understand the complex social issues affecting our community. Be sure to share these recommendations with your friends, family, and colleagues and support the work of the Law Foundation! Can you support justice by making a gift of $25, $50, or $100 a month? Make an even deeper impact by becoming a recurring donor!