GB Magazine October 2022 | Page 77

Healthcare providers have a special opportunity to make a difference given their proximity to people negatively affected by inequalities . Providing critical health services , functioning as a trusted institution of care , and developing deep relationships with the communities it serves have always been a priority for SYHealth . Many patients who receive services at FQHCs are often young , uninsured or people of color : the same groups who traditionally vote in low numbers .
SYHealth acknowledges that providing care in a clinical setting is not the start of a patient ’ s healthcare journey . In an effort to continue making a lasting impact on the health outcomes of the people it serves , in 2020 SYHealth joined the nonpartisan My Vote . My Health . campaign spearheaded by AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles . The
Medical Resident Canvassers encouraging voting in San Ysidro
campaign leverages the trust that healthcare providers have with their patients to increase civic participation for people who are eligible to vote and encourages voting at every election cycle - providing information so that voters can make informed decisions on issues that impact their health and the overall health of the community they live and work in .
Since joining the My Vote . My Health . campaign , SYHealth has successfully increased voter participation by 13 percent in the 2020 general election . As a trusted community partner , people look to SYHealth when it comes to making decisions that impact their health and the doctor is prescribing all communities to vote in the upcoming November election .
Public policy shapes California ’ s health system - influencing accessibility to healthcare , secure housing , healthy food ,
Improving the quality of life of under-resourced and under-represented quality of communities by increasing participation from low propensity voters . education and
employment all of which impact the outcomes of health for communities across San Diego County . The health of communities across San Diego County depends on YOUR vote . To learn more about SYHealth ’ s My Vote . My Health . campaign visit www . syhealth . org .
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