Dr. Alister Martin, an emergency medicine physician, founded Link Health to address the socioeconomic barriers many patients face when seeking care in emergency departments. Drawing from his upbringing in a working-class community and his experiences as a physician, Dr. Martin recognized that many low-income patients turn to emergency departments not just for medical emergencies but for basic needs like food, shelter, and internet access.

Link Health leverages waiting time in health centers and emergency departments to connect Medicaid patients with federal programs like Lifeline, SNAP, and LIHEAP, addressing the “digital equity gap” and other social determinants of health. To date, the organization has distributed over $2.7 million to low-income families. Inspired by his public policy education and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Martin has expanded Link Health to multiple hospital networks, helping patients access critical resources while advocating for philanthropic investment to scale its impact.