HOPEHEALTH TO REGISTER VOTERS AND ADVOCATES THIS WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, HopeHealth will register patients and staff members to vote and to become health center advocates in the lobbies of eight of their health centers throughout Florence, Clarendon, and Williamsburg Counties. This tradition, named Advocacy Wednesday, began four years ago as an effort to celebrate National Health Center Week and focuses on encouraging patients and community members to support HopeHealth by becoming health center advocates.
“Just as advocates are important to spread our message to elected officials, it is essential we have an opportunity to voice our opinion with our vote,” said Kimberly O. Johnson, HopeHealth director of legislative affairs. “There is power in numbers. Many local elections are decided by less than 100 votes. When we vote and get our family and friends to vote, we are better able to advocate for the necessary benefits in our community.”
HopeHealth kicked off the Aug. 5-10 National Health Center Week celebrations with a Zumba event in Kingstree Monday morning. The event at the Williamsburg County Recreation Center included a short presentation on the importance of community health centers from Liza Williams, a family nurse practitioner at HopeHealth in Kingstree, free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings, and the annual community Zumba workout.
National Health Center Week is a national campaign held every August to highlight the much-needed services being provided to 29 million Americans by health centers. Health centers are established in geographic areas where unmet health care needs have been identified. They exist to provide health care homes, to minimize unnecessary emergency department visits, and to catch the early onset of preventable chronic conditions. Health care services are affordable and accessible to everyone including those who are uninsured or underinsured. With the ongoing battle against chronic diseases in South Carolina, HopeHealth focuses on providing preventive services and programs through an integrated care model that allows some of the most complicated health conditions to be prevented and treated within our network.
For an opportunity to learn more about the importance of health centers and how rooted in community we are, visit any HopeHealth location during regular business hours on Advocacy Wednesday, Aug. 7., or visit hcadvocacy.org.
HopeHealth is one of 23 nonprofit, federally qualified health centers in South Carolina. We provide quality and affordable health care services to individuals in Florence, Clarendon, and Williamsburg Counties and infectious diseases services in Aiken, Clarendon, Florence, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg Counties. To become a patient, call 843-667-9414 or visit hope-health.org.
