Season 2 • Episode 64

Vote in Scrubs: Why Civic Health Is Public Health (With Rebeca Leon, Gilanie De Castro and Marcos Damian-Noyola)

Oct 14, 2025

32:29

Nursing Public Health Health Equity Health Policy

Episode Description

In this episode of Nurse Converse, host Rebeca Leon partners with Vot-ER to explore how civic health is public health. She’s joined by Marcos Damian-Noyola, Deputy Director of Partnerships at Vot-ER, and Gilanie De Castro, RN, MSN, OCN, NE-BC, a nurse leader and former Civic Health Fellow.

Together, they discuss how voting, policy, and advocacy shape patient care and community well-being. From telehealth and nurse staffing laws to lessons from the pandemic, the conversation highlights how nurses can use their voices beyond the bedside to drive meaningful change.

Tune in to learn:

Why civic engagement is essential to public health
How Vot-ER empowers healthcare professionals to promote voter participation
Personal stories connecting nursing, policy, and patient outcomes
Ways to get involved using Vot-ER’s free, nonpartisan tools and fellowships

Listen, be inspired, and join the movement to build a healthier democracy — one nurse, one vote, one community at a time.

>>Vote in Scrubs: Why Civic Health Is Public Health

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:01:19] Civic health awareness in nursing.
[00:04:14] Civic health and public health.
[00:08:13] Voting access and health outcomes.
[00:12:52] Civic engagement in nursing.
[00:16:06] Impact of policies on health.
[00:19:49] Voting and healthcare access.
[00:25:05] Nurses and voting advocacy.
[00:27:25] Time off to vote policy.
[00:31:32] Civic engagement for nurses.

Connect with Rebeca on Social Media:
Instagram: @EnfermeraMami.RN

Connect with Gilanie on Social Media:
Instagram: @CitizenNurse
Website: www.citizennurse.com

Follow Vot-ER on their official channels:
Website: vot-er.org
Instagram: @vot_er_org
Threads: @vot_er_org
LinkedIn: Vot-ER

For more information: