Why Healthcare Professionals Must Vote Today

Hesham A. Hassaballa: This is Healthcare Musings. I'm your host, Dr. Hashem Hasabala. Welcome to Healthcare Meetings, everybody. Happy to have you with me. Today's election day across the nation, November 3rd. I'm currently working clinical, away from my home. And so I voted early last week. And this is just an entreaty to all my colleagues, every healthcare professional listening to this or reading the show notes or that we have to go out and vote. It's so important. healthcare is one-fifth of the entire economy. it is huge. It is too big to fail. and there are so many things that are wrong with it. you know I've had Matthew Zachary who talked about the healthcare system. You know, I have a whole series about from the appeals desk and as a physician advisor in and you know and we see as bedside clinicians what's happening And with the legislation that is affecting people's coverage. I mean, you you you you name it. There are a number of issues. There are candidates that are calling for single payer for everyone. I mean, yeah i the the there's so many different voices out there advocating for change in our healthcare system. and the voices that cannot be drowned out are the voices of those providing the care. directly at the bedside and that is me and you, the doctor, the nurse, the respiratory therapist, the physical therapist, the occupational therapist, the the nutrition specialist, the speech pathologist, you name it, man, those of our voices cannot be drowned out. We have to have a seat at the table. And the Most potent way that we get our voices to matter is to vote, is to vote in every election, big and small. because we have to have a say. You know, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna talk about my politics. I'm not gonna tell you who to vote for or where you you that's a personal decision. The what I will recommend and what I will urge everyone is what I tell my kids and my family, go. and vote. Have your voice be heard. it's the the thing that is most beautiful about the one of the things not the thing one of the things that is most beautiful about this country is that every so often I have the ability to have my say. You know, all the things about the political system notwithstanding at the end of the day this Civic act is something that I personally hold sacred. And we as an electorate, as a people, as a as a citizen, as a citizenry, as a country, have to hold sacred. We have to hold it sacred. It's so important. People literally died to give us the right to vote. People literally gave their lives so that I can vote. And I just can't fathom. shirking my responsibility. The reason and and I voted early because I'm not gonna be home on election day, where I can vote in my local polling place. So I voted early. and you know it's hard. I if we haven't voted yet and and after your shift, you know, twelve hours is a long time. Right now I'm driving in the dark and I'm leaving in the dark. I get it, man. I'm tired. I just want to go home. I want to rest. I want to decompress. And it's just today, man. Today and we don't get, my kids are off on election day. we don't get that luxury. We don't it's not a holiday for us. sick people don't take election day off. I get it. And it's hard. And it's so important. We have to have our voices at the table. There's so many things that people want to do with healthcare and to the healthcare system. Our voices as clinicians, as those providing the care, has to be included. And if we don't vote, if we don't exercise our our duty and privilege and honor in participating in the electoral process, then you know, we the things can will be done to us that we may that that we that that we may not like. And so you know, we may be we may not have the strongest position as clinicians and healthcare professionals. I don't know. The the the thing that I can do in my power, there are a lot of things that I can't do that are beyond my power. The thing that is in my power, one of the things that is in that is that is in my power is to vote, is to have my voice heard. And so today I urge you that if you can go on your break, that would be amazing, amazing. If you have to wait after your shift, I know it's hard and it's so important to have your voice heard. Today's election day. It's an important day. So many things are at stake. Please Go and vote and make your voice be heard. Thanks so much, everybody, for your time and attention, and I'll see you next time at Healthcare Musings. Thanks for listening. Healthcare Musings is a production of FaithfulWord Media. Sign up at drhasabala.com to get every episode delivered directly to your inbox. And please don't forget to give the show a five-star review. Thanks so much.