President's Message
Posted on: 7/19/24
Our most recent primary election resulted in some unexpected outcomes with the planned Senate pro temp losing his re-election, as well as other lawmakers who have long supported hospitals. What did we learn from the primary? If we do not vote and support candidates that embrace our mission, vision and values, we risk the opportunity to further improve health and healthcare in Oklahoma. As leaders, the question we should ask ourselves each election year is whether our organizations are encouraging civic engagement and voting by our employees.
The OHA board recognizes this important question and has created the We Care, We Vote fund, designed to develop resources to improve voter education and voter turnout from hospital employees and their families. Conservative estimates show that hospitals may represent 160,000 voters in Oklahoma. Meanwhile our state ranks 47th nationally in voter participation. We can do much better and can have real impact on elections and ensure the meaningful work done in every hospital is recognized in our state Legislature and from all elected officeholders.
Your leadership is needed to help promote civic engagement and OHA’s We Care, We Vote initiative. This year, OHA is happy to announce the creation of the We Care, We Vote Golf Invitational, set for Sept. 30 at Oak Tree Country Club. All OHA member hospitals are encouraged to recruit at least four players to join our vendor partners in raising funds for We Care, We Vote and to generate enthusiasm for a more robust voter turnout this fall. You don’t have to be a good golfer to play in this scramble, just a good sport.
OHA is asking our members to consider sponsoring the We Care, We Vote Golf Invitational. This event is not a PAC event and monies donated to We Care, We Vote are not considered PAC contributions, but are permissible corporate expenditures used to support voter education and civic engagement. OHA’s We Care, We Vote initiative is designed after a template developed by the American Hospital Association, taking into consideration state and federal legal requirements. We encourage you to select a sponsorship level, create your teams and share the sponsorship request with your vendor partners. All OHA member hospital employees will play at no cost. Our goal is for the hospital and vendor sponsorships to cover the event expenses and generate financial support for We Care, We Vote outreach.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” As healthcare leaders, we have an opportunity to lean in and lead our teams to ensure our organization’s perspectives are heard in all levels of government. Please take the time to sponsor our We Care, We Vote Tournament and recruit a team or two to join us on Sept. 30. You can click on the link in this week’s Hotline to register and sponsor today. I want to thank Mercy and Comanche County Memorial Hospital for their early support of our tournament. Encouraging civic engagement and voter participation is another example of how OHA members can influence the improvement of health and healthcare in Oklahoma.
Rich Rasmussen
President & CEO