San Ysidro Health pediatrician Aldo Rodriguez encourages families to vote during routine checkups. He said civic participation is linked to better health outcomes.
“People that we've elected have made, you know, big impacts in people's lives,” he said. “You know, now being able to ensure that all children, regardless of their legal status can receive health care.”
Rodriguez is taking part in a statewide initiative called My Vote. My Health that aims to increase voter turnout among low-income and minority residents.
Research shows that the medical community sees voting as one of several social determinants of health and views it is a public health issue.
Alejandra Perez, director of community relations for San Ysidro Health, said they want their patients to understand voting can drive change.
“We can only support with about 20% of the overall health outcomes of a patient. The remaining 80% are influenced by factors that policies really drive,” Perez said.
New data from the California Health Interview Survey show a connection between economic hardship, housing instability, and low civic engagement among vulnerable populations.
Less than half of people facing housing insecurity – or earning around $30,000 dollars a year – are voting regularly, the survey found. That’s compared to about 70% of people in more stable situations earning twice as much.
Perez said using trusted messengers in the clinic can increase turnout.
She said there was almost a 13% increase in voter turnout among low propensity voters surveyed by San Ysidro Health during the first year.
Many of the communities served by the clinics are often just focused on getting by, leaving little time to think about voting, she said.
“So oftentimes it's that simple question of ‘did you vote?’ And that really is amplifying the work that we're doing in clinic and making sure that we are creating sustainable, lasting change for the resources that our community really needs,” she said.
San Ysidro Health is one of 11 federally qualified health centers participating in the campaign in California. They will continue to educate the community through clinic visits, door-to-door canvassing and phone banks until November 5th.
