August is #CivicHealthMonth
Did you know August is Civic Health Month? What a great time to learn about how healthcare, community engagement and civic health intertwine! We will be having a guest post from a medical student passionate about those topics later this month, but if you want to learn more NOW you can check out some facts below.
What is civic health? It’s how much our citizens take part in our communities, not just socially with our families and neighbors, but by participating in local government. From registering to vote to running for your school board. Lately, more and more physician parents are running to be on their local school boards, to help change things like the nutritional quality of school lunch or ensure censorship isn’t happening in the library. But medical students don’t really have that kind of time, so how can you take part?
One easy way is to take part in the Healthy Democracy Campaign – a little competition is democratic, and fun, too. Another way is simply texting friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to remind them to check on their voter registration. And don’t forget to check your own voter registration, too! Literally just take part in your community and learn about needs within the area you live! And of course you can always learn more at Vot-ER.org.
Why does this matter? Shouldn’t we be focused on learning medicine?
Civic health and healthcare are intertwined. “Poor civic health affects communities and hinders progress towards improved social outcomes such as equitable access to quality healthcare, education, and job opportunities.” Voting changes who makes decisions in the towns we live in, as well as at the state and national level. That affects us all. And many of our patients are historically less likely to vote, like healthcare workers. And exhausted students and residents. Given the clear connection between civic health and health outcomes in our communities we not only have to ensure WE vote, we need to encourage and support those around us to register and vote, too.
Did you know patients can vote when they’re hospitalized? I didn’t know until residency. And most patients don’t know either – it isn’t something overworked hospital staff have at the top of their minds. But you could be helpful for so many patients this year, just by knowing the info and sharing with them.
Resources
Civic Health Month – https://vot-er.org/civic-health-month/
Univ of Wis – https://leadershipdevelopment.extension.wisc.edu/articles/civic-health-of-wisconsin/
Healthy Democracy Campaign – https://vot-er.org/healthy-democracy-campaign/
Hospitalized voters – https://www.patientvoting.com/
