Rx: Vote Campaign Principles

Rx: Vote Campaign Principles (pdf)

The Rx: Vote Campaign is a national non-partisan effort dedicated to improving the health of all Americans by increasing voter participation and civic engagement of health workers and patients, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented communities.

The Rx: Vote Campaign promotes a healthy democracy through grassroots voter registration, get-out-the-vote, and education efforts in the nation's community health centers, clinics and hospitals.

The Rx: Vote Campaign is based on the following principles:

1. A healthy democracy requires the active participation and civic engagement of all members of our diverse society

2. A healthy democracy depends on a healthy population. When preventable and poorly treated health problems exist, society as a whole suffers because individuals are unable to fully engage in and contribute to a dynamic, healthy democracy.

3. An affordable, sustainable, equitable, high-quality, and universal health care system is essential for all members of our society to achieve health and well-being. The Institute of Medicine, and a majority of health professionals, advocates, and patients, share this fundamental belief.

4. Health and political literacy are interdependent. A lack of participation in the political process and lack of understanding of health policy prevent individuals from effectively improving the health of their communities and the nation.

5. Communities that lack a political voice tend to suffer disproportionate levels of disease. Constituents who are underrepresented in the political process, such as low-income, minority, uninsured or homeless individuals, are overrepresented with regards to the burden of disease in our society. Many diseases and health disparities could be better prevented or treated through health policies informed by greater civic participation, particularly of underrepresented communities.

6. The nation's community health centers, clinics and hospitals have a unique and powerful opportunity to improve the health of our patients and of our democracy. Working together with allies under one common banner, health providers and advocates can amplify their collective power to address the ill-effects of a fragmented, inequitable health system and limited civic engagement.

 

With these shared principles, we commit as healers, advocates and patients to join the Rx: Vote Campaign and help promote the health of our democracy.