Caring beyond health: Pennsylvania hospital ensures patients can vote

Patients who happen to find themselves in Lankenau Medical Center just outside Philadelphia on Election Day can still cast their vote.

While doing his rounds at Lankenau Medical Center last May, Lars Peterson got an interesting request from a patient: They wanted to vote in the primary election.

As manager of patient experience at the acute care hospital in Wynnewood, Montgomery County, Peterson often knocks on patients’ doors to ask them how they are and how he can improve their health care experience.

“I walked into the room of a 77-year-old Black man who lives in Philadelphia County who said he has voted in every single primary and general election since the day he turned 18,” Peterson said. “That day he found himself unexpectedly admitted to the hospital and needed a little bit of help. He wanted to vote even though he was in the hospital. I didn’t even know there was an election that day.”

Peterson said he used that opportunity to not only learn more about the election process, but how the hospital could assist patients with their voting needs.

The hospital, which is part of the Main Line Health system, has since implemented a program that ensures patients are aware of this additional service at all its facilities, including Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital, and Riddle Hospital.

During the primary election in May of this year, Peterson said the hospital included a slip of paper on everyone’s lunch tray asking them if they needed help voting that day. He said four people utilized the service.

Since then, Peterson said the hospital has done “tabling” events to get the word out. A table is set up in the cafeteria with information about the voting process, including how to register and how to obtain a mail-in ballot.

“This is very sincerely nonpartisan,” Peterson said. “All we are trying to do is invite and allow folks who are interested in engaging in a civic dialogue. We are giving them the opportunity to do so. We are trying to promote civic engagement.”

To facilitate their efforts, Peterson said the hospital hooked up with Vot-ER, a nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement into health care. Vot-ER develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for the health care system. According to the organization’s website, other Pennsylvania health care systems, such as Philadelphia’s Penn Medicine, Geisinger in Montour County, and Berks Community Health Center, have also implemented their services.

“Since we are based on the Main Line, and we are right outside the city, we see a broad spectrum of patients,” Peterson said. “From the most needy city patients to suburban affluency. If there is one thing that is universal, it’s the need for health care. This is just another way we can serve our community and provide them with what they need while they are with us.”