Today, on September 20, Dana-Farber is proud to join thousands of nonprofit organizations and volunteers in celebrating the 10th anniversary of National Voter Registration Day (NVRD). First established in 2012, NVRD is a day of collective nonpartisan action that has helped 4.7 million individuals register to vote over the last decade. According to Census Data from 2020, one in four eligible Americans is not registered to vote. This is about 51 million people – or the entire population of Spain. NVRD strives to promote nonpartisan voter registration and education as a means to ensure everyone, including our patients, families, caregivers and staff at Dana-Farber have the information they need to be civically engaged. 

To that end, we encourage all members of the Dana-Farber Legislative Action Network (LAN) to take 30 seconds to double-check that you are registered to vote at your current address by clicking the link below. You can ensure a smooth voting experience this fall whether you choose to vote from home or in person by confirming your voter registration is up to date.  

Double Check Your Voter Registration

In addition, to ensure that you are ready to vote this fall, the Dana-Farber LAN and the Mosaic Employee Resource Group invite you to join us on September 28 at 2pm for Advocacy Rounds: Election Edition, Know Before You Go. You can register for this free, nonpartisan webinar here. During this event you will get all the information and resources you need to develop a plan to vote this fall, including a breakdown of all the statewide ballot questions in Massachusetts.

Finally, on this NVRD, we are pleased to introduce you to Ryan Fessinger, our new Patient Advocacy Intern, who will be working closely with the LAN, Office of Government Affairs and our Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs). Ryan will also have a leadership role helping to advance our new Civic Health Champions Initiative. 

Ryan is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work from Boston University. She is passionate about healthcare, civic engagement, and the connections between community health, individual health, and accessible civic participation, especially for communities already at the margins.

Ryan earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Kansas and the New England Conservatory of Music. She has also organized concerts and outreach efforts alongside nonprofit organizations that address the dire consequences of decreased funding for the Arts. 

With her dynamic background and passion for advocacy, Ryan will be an incredible asset to the Dana-Farber community. Please join us in welcoming Ryan to Dana-Farber.