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The Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) is hoping hospital employees all over the state will get out and vote in next month's general election when races for United States legislators and state judges are decided. For the third year, MHA is waging an Operation Healthy Vote campaign with healthcare facilities to increase voter registration, education and participation in these races.

The program began in 2004 and grew out of MHA's voter registration efforts at member facilities that started in 2002.

"In order for us to have a successful advocacy program as an association, we must start at the grassroots level," said Sam Cameron, MHA president and CEO. "When our hospital employees are registered to vote and actively participate in politics in their community, it makes it much easier to get the attention of legislators. Through Operation Healthy Vote, we hope not only to encourage employees to register to vote, but also to become informed, active voters, and most importantly, to get out and vote on Election Day."

Hospital employees can register to vote via mail or online at www.operationhealthyvote.com. New opportunities were also added this year by giving employees the option of faxing their applications to MHA at (601) 368-3200 and having the association do the mailing for them or registering via mobile phones by texting "mha" to 75444.

MHA spokeswoman Shawn Lea said Operation Healthy Vote stands ready to help all healthcare employees register to vote or change their address before the Oct. 8 deadline. "We will also be encouraging and reminding hospital employees to vote on Nov. 7," she said.

Rush Health Systems in Meridian has participated in Operation Healthy Vote since the program began. Donnie Smith, vice president for human resources, marketing and public relations, says the fully integrated healthcare system is pleased with the program. Their participation has grown since the first year when tables were set up in the facilities' main flow area for employees to receive information about registering.

"We've had very good participation," he said. "It's been so successful we wanted to continue it. It's something we strive to do to help our employees. It's so important we include it in our orientation."

Smith said the systems' administration does not try to force its 2,700 employees to vote any certain way but they do encourage them to vote. Rush Health Systems operates four hospitals, 30 clinics, a nursing home and a home health service.

"The program has worked well for us and we've made it available at all locations," he said. "We try to let our employees know all that's going on and we consider it important."

Some Rush employees say they weren't registered and didn't know where to vote before receiving information through Operation Healthy Vote. "Employees say they like the program, and we've had all favorable comments about it," Smith said. "It's been good for us."

Last year, more than 1,000 hospital employees registered to vote or updated their address information through MHA, according to Lea, who says the program will be continued for every election year. Participation is voluntary but roughly one-third of the association's member facilities are involved.

"Others just put out the informational flyers and direct employees to our Web site," she said. "And some send out an e-mail about it. It depends on the hospital."

Hospitals were encouraged to create an Operation Healthy Vote station where employees can fill out the forms and drop them off for the hospital to mail.

"Through MHA, employees can register to vote online, via fax or via cell phone," Lea said. "Though we created the materials for hospitals, any healthcare organization could use them for their own voter registration drives. An Operation Healthy Vote station could be set up easily in clinics, doctors' offices, et cetera, if anyone is interested."

She says studies have shown that citizens generally do not vote for one of three reasons: they aren't registered to vote; they don't feel informed enough to make a decision; and/or they don't know where and when to vote. After employees register through MHA, the association sends them "marching papers" informing them where they will vote, places to contact for more information and a list of the candidates from their area. Participants also receive an Operation Healthy Vote pin that says, "I'm a Part of the Invasion."

"Operation Healthy Vote covers all of these bases," Lea said. "The Web site is a one-stop shop for registering to vote or updating an address so employees can vote in a local precinct and for finding out nonpartisan information about the candidates."

She stresses that MHA does not endorse any candidates and that the program is completely non partisan. "We don't care who hospital employees vote for … we just want them to register to vote, get educated about the candidates' stances on issues important to them and to vote on Election Day," she added.

The Operation Healthy Vote Web site also posts a link to MHA's Executive Briefing for the latest state and national political news affecting the healthcare industry and a toll free telephone number for the Secretary of State's election hotline.

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October 2006

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