{"id":10169,"date":"2026-10-20T10:22:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T16:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/?p=10169"},"modified":"2026-10-22T15:11:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T21:11:10","slug":"pih-emily-polak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/pih-emily-polak\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast episode 61: Emily Polak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen below or on any of your favorite podcast services. Like and subscribe to stay up-to-date with each new episode!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/share.transistor.fm\/e\/d2e17f30\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d05cb3ef wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/pioneers-in-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/RSS-Feed.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6164\" style=\"width:188px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/RSS-Feed.png 320w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/RSS-Feed-300x75.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/pioneers-in-health\/id1743590014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Apple-Podcasts.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6162\" style=\"width:188px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Apple-Podcasts.png 320w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Apple-Podcasts-300x75.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3jka7vMKpBCEacwnrhdLgw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spotify.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6165\" style=\"width:188px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spotify.png 320w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spotify-300x75.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/7e986df9-578e-416a-b3bf-3c78473c70a8\/pioneers-in-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amazon-Music.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6161\" style=\"width:188px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amazon-Music.png 320w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amazon-Music-300x75.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome to the <a href=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/pioneers-in-health\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"6150\">Pioneers in Health podcast<\/a>. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 24%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In episode 61, we interview Emily Polak, senior vice president of partnerships and organizing at <a href=\"https:\/\/vot-er.org\">Vot-ER<\/a>. Vot-ER is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement into healthcare. They develop tools and programs for every corner of the healthcare system \u2014 from private practitioners to medical schools to hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Vot-ER, Emily works to help ensure health centers, associations, hospitals, health systems and academic partners have the resources and support they need to weave nonpartisan civic engagement materials into healthcare spaces. Prior to her time at Vot-ER, Emily spent over a decade at Community Catalyst advancing health advocacy work at the local, state and national levels. She holds a master of public policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor&#8217;s degree in sociology from Wesleyan University.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jamilamichener.com\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"431\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emily-Polak-headshot.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10170 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emily-Polak-headshot.jpeg 431w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emily-Polak-headshot-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emily-Polak-headshot-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this episode, she shares how throughout her career, she&#8217;s always held a strong belief that people need access to high-quality, affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;One of the most important ways to do that is by exercising different civic engagement and democratic opportunities, such as voting,&#8221; Emily said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said she was drawn to her current role after hearing the founder speak about its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This idea that voting is a social determinant of health \u2014 that voting is a political determinant of health \u2014 really spoke to me as an opportunity to make sure that everybody \u2014 folks who always vote, folks who have never even been registered to vote but are eligible \u2014 that they all can have a voice at every direct election, whether it&#8217;s local, state or federal,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this episode, she also discusses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How voting is a social determinant of health<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vot-ER&#8217;s mission and its origin story<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their Healthy Democracy campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vot-ER&#8217;s civic health fellowship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partnering with a variety of healthcare providers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The importance of voting in all elections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ways to engage right now<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What gives her hope <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Emily is an innovative leader in healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\"><strong>Additional resources<br><\/strong>Check your voter registration, find your polling location and more at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vot-er.org\/act\/\">https:\/\/vot-er.org\/act\/<\/a>. <br><br>Also, access the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-1b1c93a7-add0-4bfc-a94e-9cc5b459d210\"><strong>Please see the <a href=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/pioneers-in-health\/\"><em>Pioneers in Health<\/em> page<\/a> on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes. <\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/pioneers-in-health\/\" style=\"background-color:#1f2d4a\">View other episodes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen now Listen below or on any of your favorite podcast services. Like and subscribe to stay up-to-date with each new episode! Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health. &nbsp; In episode &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10169"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10192,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10169\/revisions\/10192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthfund.org\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}