Civic Engagement

Welcome to the Center for Civic Health

At the CPCA Center for Civic Health, we believe a healthier future starts with informed, engaged communities. Rooted in the trusted care of California’s community health centers and clinics, our mission goes beyond the exam room, uplifting voices, advancing equity, and building power through civic action.

Community health centers have always done more than treat illness; they treat the root causes of health inequities. As trusted messengers and community anchors, health centers are uniquely positioned to serve as civic hubs, where patients not only receive care, but gain the tools to shape their futures.

Civic engagement is foundational to healthy communities. From access to housing and education to food security and public safety, our daily lives are shaped by policy decisions. That’s why we work to empower patients, respect cultural and linguistic needs, and strengthen communities through collaboration, advocacy, and participation.

Center for Civic Health

To ensure equitable access to high-quality, affordable health care for individuals and families through California’s community health centers and clinics that provide care for all patients and strengthen all communities.

Through the work of the CPCA Center for Civic Health, a project of CPCA and CPCA Advocates, we amplify this mission by empowering patients, uplifting community voices, and advancing civic participation as a pathway to healthy communities.

The Social Drivers of Health in the communities where we live, learn, work, and raise our families are shaped by policy. Voting, completing the census, participating in public meetings, and advocating for local needs are all acts of civic engagement that directly influence policies and improve social conditions.

When patients engage, they help improve the social drivers of health, strengthen their community, and improve public health. Civic participation means more than casting a ballot; it means building a healthier, more just society for everyone.

Health centers are not just places of healing. They are centers of transformation, where civic engagement becomes part of care. Your participation strengthens advocacy, amplifies patient voices, and builds more resilient communities.

Health centers are trusted messengers in communities that are too often left out of traditional voter outreach low-income residents, immigrants, communities of color, and other historically underserved communities.

When patients leave not only healthier but civically empowered, we honor their full humanity. If we don’t empower our patients to vote, who will?

For any civic engagement questions, please reach out to Denise Chavez, Civic Engagement Coordinator (dchavez@cpca.org).

What Civic Engagement Looks Like in Practice

  • Commit to a nonpartisan approach that builds trust
  • Designate a point of contact for civic updates and resources
  • Share tools with patients and staff through flyers, events, QR codes, and conversations
  • Join trainings and check-ins with regional partners

Resources for Health Centers

CA Special Election Graphic

Voter Resources

Voter resources offering election reminders, multilingual flyers, and tools to register, verify voting status, and find polling places.

View Resources