How Voting Transforms Health: Vot-ER's Badge of Change

[00:00:07] You know, we often think about health in terms of diet, exercise, and regular checkups.

[00:00:13] But what if I told you that one of the most impactful things you can do for your health, and especially the health of women, is to cast your ballot?

[00:00:22] Think about it. We've all witnessed the role of policy and politics when it comes to women's reproductive health.

[00:00:29] But beyond that, who determines what services are covered under Medicaid for pregnant women?

[00:00:34] Who decides on funding for breast cancer research or for research on the many conditions for which we have few solutions, such as endometriosis or even heart disease in women?

[00:00:45] It's the folks we put in office. From access to birth control to policies on insurance coverage for preventive services, voting shapes women's health in ways that are not always obvious.

[00:00:58] Welcome to Beyond The Paper Gown. I'm Dr. Mitzi Krockover.

[00:01:01] Today, we're talking with Maria Bobrowski-Artola from an organization called Vote ER.

[00:01:08] They're doing something pretty innovative, equipping healthcare workers with tools to help patients register to vote right in the doctor's office or hospital.

[00:01:17] They're also championing the idea of civic health, the notion that being engaged in our democracy is as crucial to our well-being as any of our healthy lifestyle choices.

[00:01:27] So let's get started as we explore how that little I voted sticker might be as powerful as any prescription when it comes to your health.

[00:01:46] Yes, it is election season. And so we thought we would highlight an incredible organization.

[00:01:53] With us is Maria Bobrowski-Artola. She is the Partnerships and Policy Manager at Vote ER.

[00:02:01] It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement into the healthcare system.

[00:02:08] Welcome, Maria.

[00:02:10] Thank you so much. It's great to be here.

[00:02:13] Terrific to have you.

[00:02:14] Please talk a little bit about your background and what brought you to this specific organization.

[00:02:23] Absolutely. I'm happy to share.

[00:02:25] I have been with Vote ER for a little over two years now.

[00:02:30] And before coming to Vote ER, I was actually serving my community in Ohio as a bilingual reproductive health educator.

[00:02:38] Incredibly rewarding. I come from a family who, growing up, we depended a lot on community health educators.

[00:02:46] So stepping into that role, it was great to be a person that my community can lean on in a lot of situations where they maybe didn't feel comfortable coming to their friends and family.

[00:02:58] So I was bridging, being a bridge really for resources and information for folks in my community.

[00:03:06] And in 2022, actually, I started to be a bridger for additional resources.

[00:03:12] Some might say unconventional ones.

[00:03:14] And that is asking my community members to register to vote.

[00:03:17] And that is where voting was a really powerful tool for them to have that agency.

[00:03:33] So it felt like a natural transition to come to Vote ER to be able to support more of our health workers, our doctors, nurses, and students as well to really center civic engagement as part of our holistic health.

[00:03:51] Tell me or tell our audience certainly a little bit about what is Vote ER?

[00:03:57] Absolutely.

[00:03:58] So Vote ER is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization.

[00:04:02] As you mentioned, we work to integrate civic engagement into our health care system.

[00:04:07] And our bread and butter of that really is through our Vote ER badge.

[00:04:11] That's V-O-T-E-R badge.

[00:04:13] And it has a lanyard that prompts folks to see if they're ready to vote.

[00:04:19] It says, listo para votar in Spanish.

[00:04:22] And are you ready to vote?

[00:04:23] On it, we have a QR code that actually sends folks to a landing page to check or update their voter registration.

[00:04:31] Maybe to order an absentee ballot if that's what they need.

[00:04:36] And, you know, depending what time of the season we are as we near election day.

[00:04:41] And our health professionals really use this badge to begin that conversation on voting and how it impacts our health.

[00:04:50] Connect the dots for us.

[00:04:52] What is the connection between voting and our health?

[00:04:57] And I will say that the AMA, the American Medical Association, actually said or stated that voting is an SDOH, which is a social determinant of health.

[00:05:09] Absolutely.

[00:05:10] Yeah.

[00:05:11] So, you know, as as many health professionals now know, about 80 percent of our health outcomes are not things that can be addressed within the clinic walls.

[00:05:20] They are things like our where we live, whether we have access to the right resources, whether we are food secure, whether we have housing, whether we can breathe clean air in our neighborhood.

[00:05:35] These are all social determinants that, you know, a patient might come into your office and need an asthma inhaler because of the bad air that they're breathing.

[00:05:43] But that is not going to get to the root of the problem.

[00:05:49] So voting is a social determinant of health because the elected officials that maybe put up an airport outside of this person's neighborhood who is who is breathing in all of the fumes from from the airplanes needs to they need to be able to have a say in whether that airport is there so that they can have clean air to breathe.

[00:06:11] And so that some of those those 80 percent of determinants can be addressed outside of the clinical walls.

[00:06:19] So it really is about getting to the cause of the causes.

[00:06:22] And it's our elected officials who who make these policy decisions that ultimately impact those social health outcomes.

[00:06:31] When I first heard about vote ER, and I'll be very frank again as a physician, I'm thinking about my days in the emergency room, how busy things can get and how sometimes it can be a time when both the patients and the doctors are stressed.

[00:06:48] What has been the experience in terms of physicians and other health care providers having these conversations at those very busy and sometimes stressful times?

[00:07:00] Absolutely. And that is an incredibly valid concern.

[00:07:03] As health care professionals, your priority is the health of your patients is treating their patients.

[00:07:09] So the wonderful thing about our Voodier tools is that they are optional.

[00:07:13] They are nonpartisan and they are not disruptive to the patient care.

[00:07:18] It really is at the choice of our health care professional when and where it makes sense to bring it up.

[00:07:24] I can share that most of our health care providers incorporate it just into their routine intake questions.

[00:07:32] For example, alongside the standard questions like, do you smoke? Do you feel safe at home?

[00:07:37] They might also ask, hey, are you registered to vote?

[00:07:40] And recognizing that civic participation is such a vital health indicator, emphasizing that being registered is just a simple and effective way to start that conversation with patients.

[00:07:54] And what has been some of the responses or reactions from both physicians and their patients?

[00:08:02] So we conducted a survey recently with our physicians and being able to give patients the opportunity to have a say in the broader systems impacting their health

[00:08:18] actually resulted in a lot of positive outcomes for the physicians who use our tools.

[00:08:24] It has made them feel like they can actually do the advocacy for their patients that they wanted to when they first committed to becoming a doctor or a nurse or a health care professional.

[00:08:34] So we actually have seen a lot of wonderful positive responses from our physicians who really use this supplementally to the very important treatments that they give their patients.

[00:08:46] And as far as for patient responses, we have also seen that patients are just really grateful that their doctor is even asking them about whether they're registered to vote.

[00:08:59] Of course, you're going to have a range of responses.

[00:09:01] If a patient is not interested, that's fine.

[00:09:04] There's no need to push.

[00:09:05] But you have given them the opportunity to start a conversation that they may otherwise not have been asked about.

[00:09:12] I have to ask this.

[00:09:14] In the hyperpolarized environment that we have, has there been any pushback, if you will, with maybe assumptions made by the patient that the doctor might be suggesting that they vote a different way or the way that they think?

[00:09:30] How is that handled?

[00:09:33] Sure.

[00:09:34] I have not actually heard that experience.

[00:09:38] But what I have heard is, you know, the common response is, hey, we ask everybody to register to vote.

[00:09:49] It's not about who you vote for.

[00:09:51] It's about whether or not you have access and opportunity to get to the ballot.

[00:09:56] So that is really the center of our talking points and how we even coach and train our health care professionals, right?

[00:10:03] It's not about who wins.

[00:10:05] It's about who votes and who has the opportunity.

[00:10:08] So we support every eligible citizen to have the opportunity to be registered to vote in every election, just in the same way that the DMV can register you to vote.

[00:10:18] The health care setting is another one of those places where 83% of Americans are going to go and have a visit with a health professional in a clinic or a hospital.

[00:10:28] But not everyone can go to the DMV.

[00:10:31] This is really a wonderful opportunity for our disabled community members who may otherwise not actually have this question asked.

[00:10:41] So take us through.

[00:10:43] So you've got this badge.

[00:10:45] You scan the QR code.

[00:10:48] What is the information that's provided?

[00:10:50] Absolutely.

[00:10:51] So once somebody scans our QR code, it will take you to a landing page that is sponsored by TurboVote, which is a very data secure platform.

[00:11:02] It's a platform that Google and Meta use to support folks in either registering to vote for the first time, checking or updating your voter registration address, submitting a request for an absentee ballot,

[00:11:17] and also just finding out general information about where to go and vote and what ID you need.

[00:11:24] It's really wonderful because our platform also has an assistance button where you can talk to a real-life person, not a computer, in English or Spanish for any additional support you might need in navigating a secretary of state website if it's a little challenging.

[00:11:40] Or if you're not sure what information you actually need to provide, each state is different.

[00:11:45] So we aim to make that as comprehensive and a lower lift as well for our health professionals who don't need to be the experts in answering those questions.

[00:11:55] Sure.

[00:11:56] Yeah.

[00:11:56] I want to underline what you just said because I live in Arizona and not just every state has different laws, but those laws are changing.

[00:12:06] Exactly.

[00:12:07] And so they've changed since I voted last time, and I think it's so important to know that.

[00:12:15] So do you have any statistics or numbers about how you all have been doing and what impact you've had?

[00:12:26] Yeah, I'm very excited to share that since our founding, Votiar has actually helped over 100,000 Americans prepare to vote through working with over 700 participating sites.

[00:12:38] And just last week on National Voter Registration Day of 2024, we supported, I believe, 35,000 folks to either update or check or even register to vote for the first time.

[00:12:50] So it is, yeah, very exciting.

[00:12:53] You're right up there with Taylor Swift.

[00:12:57] That's right.

[00:12:58] And I think that's so important.

[00:13:02] Not so much that you're up there with Taylor Swift, but what you're doing and that you're connecting the dots between health and voting.

[00:13:12] Can you share a particularly memorable success story?

[00:13:16] Absolutely.

[00:13:16] I, as the policy manager here at Votiar, I also support our community members in advocating for decreasing barriers to vote.

[00:13:28] And also to just celebrate that this is something that is incredibly important for our community health and well-being.

[00:13:34] So over the past three years, we've actually seen this be recognized in a very formal way through statewide formal proclamations, naming the month of August as Civic Health Month.

[00:13:46] The first one was in 2022 by a popular Republican governor in Massachusetts.

[00:13:53] And then last year, New Jersey followed suit.

[00:13:55] And this year, we had both Pennsylvania and Minnesota formally recognize Civic Health Month as a month where we should have these conversations about how voting impacts our health and making sure that everybody is ready to have their voice heard at the next election.

[00:14:11] So that has been just such a wonderful thing to see how explosive it's become and how many people are just getting involved.

[00:14:20] I love this idea of civic health.

[00:14:24] We need to promote that even more.

[00:14:28] And I know that we've been talking about it, but if I asked you to define what is civic health, what would your answer be?

[00:14:36] I would say that civic health is our indicator for community civic engagement and well-being.

[00:14:43] I would say civic health has a lot of different factors.

[00:14:47] It has social connection.

[00:14:49] It has making sure that you're registered to vote.

[00:14:53] It means being a leader for your community beyond your personal health.

[00:14:59] Is this also an opportunity for patients to discuss?

[00:15:03] And what is the doctor's response when patients say, I want to vote, but I'm really scared?

[00:15:11] I don't want this just seems to be a lot of scary stuff going on with respect to going to the to the ballot or or voting.

[00:15:24] Had those conversations come up?

[00:15:27] Absolutely.

[00:15:28] And I think that, you know, most of our health professionals understand that fear.

[00:15:37] I think a lot of us understand that fear or that apathy.

[00:15:43] But if we're not at the seat of the table, then we are the meal.

[00:15:48] And I think it's important for our health professionals to just listen and empathize with those patients.

[00:15:59] You know, not not everyone is going to be ready and excited to vote when perhaps their elected officials have not addressed the concerns that they see or that they want to see in their communities.

[00:16:11] I think we need to have some compassion for that.

[00:16:13] And our conversation starters really are wonderful in supporting our health professionals to navigate the more tricky conversations.

[00:16:21] But health professionals are experts in navigating tricky conversations.

[00:16:26] Right.

[00:16:26] So I think there you hold a lot of that that knowledge and that intuition already.

[00:16:30] It's it really is just about listening, having compassion with those folks, but also making sure that they understand that this is a very powerful tool for addressing those issues that maybe they see in their communities that are not being addressed.

[00:16:46] And perhaps even pointing out that they don't necessarily have to go to the ballot or the polls the day of the election.

[00:16:54] They can vote by mail and maybe some other ways to get their voices heard.

[00:17:02] Any challenges that you've faced in implementing Vote ER?

[00:17:08] Largely, this is just about us doing civic engagement education, not just with health care professionals, but also administrators.

[00:17:15] There is often that reasonable concern around what is it that is permitted.

[00:17:20] And so we really work hard to provide those facts, such as the National Voter Registration Act of 1993,

[00:17:27] that permitted and actually encourages this work and also explaining how our tools are HIPAA compliant.

[00:17:34] And it is a completely optional and opt in way for patients to go and take this information on their own.

[00:17:43] You know, it is it is not something that they are required to do.

[00:17:47] And also just working to get major institutions and thought leaders to to support this work and to to really just begin to change this culture of health care where we are centering civic engagement.

[00:18:02] Obviously, your first and foremost goal is to get people registered and then obviously hope that they will also then take that next step and actually vote.

[00:18:13] Do you see or have you done any work or education on how to advocate after you vote, for example?

[00:18:24] We do have a lot of different programs and webinars and trainings to support not just health care professionals, but also their communities in how they can continue to promote civic engagement and advocating beyond just voting.

[00:18:39] Right. So this can look like pushing for policies like protected voting time within their workplaces, support research on the connection between civic participation and health.

[00:18:50] And also even just considering running for office themselves.

[00:18:53] We have a fellowship that is a nine month long fellowship that provides health care professionals and small teams that they build up to actually work on some sort of civic engagement project at their institution or their community.

[00:19:06] So we, you know, support folks through that program.

[00:19:12] And yeah, it's it's a lot of different facets to advocating for our, you know, civic health.

[00:19:20] It's not just about voting.

[00:19:23] Another one of our newer programs is about how to help patients vote when they are hospitalized, hospitalized unexpectedly on election day.

[00:19:32] So our patient voting program also helps our health care professionals and administrators learn about patient rights and how to help them vote on election day if they are hospitalized.

[00:19:42] So, um, okay, stop right there.

[00:19:44] How do you vote?

[00:19:45] I never thought about that.

[00:19:46] How do you vote if you're hospitalized and you haven't gotten an early ballot, for example?

[00:19:52] Yeah.

[00:19:52] So every state is different, but you can request an emergency absentee ballot and our health professionals really are the liaisons to doing this for their patients if they are hospitalized.

[00:20:05] So that is why, you know, we're introducing this program to make sure that our institutions actually have all of the information and resources that they need to support their patients with this, with this very crucial piece of, of our democracy and our civic duty.

[00:20:22] Talk to us about your website and how healthcare professionals can get involved as well as the consumer or patients.

[00:20:32] Absolutely.

[00:20:33] So if you want to learn specifically about how to vote, if you have been hospitalized or you were not able to, you know, get your absentee ballot because you are hospitalized, then you can go to patientvoting.com and that will have more state by state information on what those next steps are for you as a patient or as a health professional.

[00:20:57] Talk about what your website addresses and also what kind of information you provide there.

[00:21:04] Absolutely.

[00:21:05] So you can go to voteer.org.

[00:21:08] That is V-O-T-E-R.org right now to get involved and learn more.

[00:21:13] We are less than 50 days away until the election and everyone has a role to play.

[00:21:19] So for healthcare professionals looking to promote civic engagement among their patients, I'd recommend starting with that practical step that fits into your busy schedule and just ordering a free VODYR badge.

[00:21:32] We also have conversation starters and video trainings to learn how to begin that conversation with patients.

[00:21:40] For administrators, we also have tons of resources such as emails that you can send your staff or even texts that you can send to your patients to remind them to register to vote before an upcoming deadline.

[00:21:54] And we also have other tools and resources like posters that could go in waiting rooms with our QR codes.

[00:22:00] We have different tabling resources if you'd like to host a table for voter registration day.

[00:22:08] Really, it's endless.

[00:22:10] And we're happy to co-brand and make custom materials for anybody who might need.

[00:22:15] That's terrific.

[00:22:16] And I'm assuming that a lot of our listeners may or may not be healthcare professionals, but they certainly have physicians.

[00:22:25] And so if they come to this website, is there something for them?

[00:22:30] And or would you just encourage them to have their physicians or healthcare providers come to the website as well?

[00:22:37] Encourage patients to go to our vote.health landing page to actually learn more about voter registration and, you know, to answer those questions that they might have with these upcoming voter registration deadlines.

[00:22:49] But, yeah, send it to your provider.

[00:22:52] Send it to your family friend who is a nurse.

[00:22:55] They might love some of these resources.

[00:22:57] Oh, absolutely.

[00:22:59] And what advice would you give to healthcare professionals that want to get involved in promoting voting and civic engagement over and above, obviously, what you're doing at Vote ER?

[00:23:16] Yeah, I would say that, you know, there are different ways that you can be a leader to promote voting.

[00:23:23] It can look like supporting voter registration drives.

[00:23:28] It can also look like running for office.

[00:23:31] It can look like running for a school board position.

[00:23:35] There are a lot of ways that you as a leader and the insight that you have in caring for your patients gives you insight for the health of the broader community.

[00:23:44] Right. You can advocate, write letters, write op-eds to your elected officials about the issues that you hear about.

[00:23:52] There are so many ways, you know, to foster this culture of civic engagement.

[00:23:57] Looking ahead, what's your vision and Vote ER's vision of the future of the organization and any big plans after the election?

[00:24:07] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:24:10] I mean, we promote Vote ER year round.

[00:24:14] There is always an election around the corner.

[00:24:18] It's not just these big years that are big presidential years that everyone turns out to, most, you know, most folks turn out to vote.

[00:24:25] It is the smaller elections.

[00:24:27] It is the special elections that might pop up in different states.

[00:24:31] Right. So we we really provide trainings and resources year round.

[00:24:36] But after the voter registration deadlines end, we are making sure that we have our folks actually getting out to vote.

[00:24:45] We have get out the vote phone banks that anybody can really be involved and volunteer with that start from September 30th to the day of the election.

[00:24:55] So we have a bunch of those opportunities and we're calling the folks that we actually helped register to vote.

[00:25:02] So it's the same folks that had that first conversation with us that are also getting those gentle reminders of, hey, have you made your plan to vote yet?

[00:25:12] But as far as, you know, how Vote ER has been here for a few years now, we are continuously looking to scale our impact into more health care facilities and deepening our reach in existing ones.

[00:25:25] Our goal is really to make health care settings hubs for voter registration and civic engagement, just the same as the DMV.

[00:25:33] Over the next few years, we hope to grow by 25 percent and just continue to raise national awareness through media campaigns and conduct research to to continue to show that link between civic participation and improved health outcomes.

[00:25:50] And what did I not ask you that you thought would be important for our listeners to know?

[00:25:56] Yeah. So looking ahead, Vote ER envisions a future where voter participation is as commonplace as putting on a seatbelt.

[00:26:03] It's something automatic. It's an expected part of everyday life.

[00:26:07] By integrating civic engagement into health care settings, we can make voting accessible to more people than we ever have.

[00:26:14] This is fabulous. So Maria Bobrovsky-Artola, thank you so much for coming on and sharing this with us.

[00:26:23] Thank you.

[00:26:24] We'll have all the URLs in our podcast notes.

[00:26:28] And it's a good reminder to everyone.

[00:26:31] If you haven't registered to vote, it's time.

[00:26:35] It's time to vote.

[00:26:36] It's time. It's time to register, time to vote.

[00:26:38] Thank you again for being with us.

[00:26:40] Absolutely. Thank you.

[00:26:48] I really enjoyed this conversation.

[00:26:50] I hope you did too.

[00:26:51] Thank you to Maria Bobrovsky-Artola from Vote ER.

[00:26:55] You know, when I first heard about connecting voting and health care, I was intrigued but a bit skeptical.

[00:27:01] But Vote ER's success shows that its process is effective in opening up conversations about voting and helping people to vote.

[00:27:09] So here's a quick recap.

[00:27:11] We've learned that civic health is just as crucial as physical health.

[00:27:15] From improving social determinants of health to directly influencing health care policies, our votes have a profound impact on our well-being, especially for women.

[00:27:26] I'm particularly excited about Vote ER's innovative approach.

[00:27:31] That simple badge with a QR code?

[00:27:33] It's not just a conversation starter.

[00:27:36] It's a powerful tool for change.

[00:27:38] And for all of you health care professionals out there, imagine the impact you could have by simply asking, are you registered to vote?

[00:27:47] Alongside your usual intake questions.

[00:27:50] Now, let's make sure you have all the resources to get involved.

[00:27:53] For health care professionals wanting to join this movement, head over to VoteER.org.

[00:27:59] That's V-O-T-E-R.org.

[00:28:04] You can order your free Vote ER badge, access training materials, and find lots of resources to promote civic engagement in your practice.

[00:28:13] For patients or really anyone interested in the intersection of voting and health, check out Vote.Health.

[00:28:19] It's a great place to start your voter registration journey and learn more specifically about how your vote impacts your health.

[00:28:27] And here's a tidbit I found fascinating.

[00:28:29] If you find yourself unexpectedly hospitalized on Election Day, don't worry.

[00:28:36] Visit patientvoting.com to learn about emergency absentee ballots and how to exercise your right to vote, even from a hospital bed.

[00:28:44] For more information on the impact of voting on health, check out our website at beyondthepapergown.com,

[00:28:51] where we have podcasts, webinars, and a list of additional resources covering the topic.

[00:28:55] And while you're there, subscribe to our newsletter so you can keep up to date on all of our podcast events and more.

[00:29:02] Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform as well.

[00:29:06] Thanks for joining me.

[00:29:08] And until next time, take good care and don't forget to vote.

[00:29:25] Our podcast was produced by Patrick Shambayati and me, and our associate producer is Kyla McMillian.