A New York hospital is banning patients from getting into heated debates about the election for fear the stress will negatively impact their health.
Hot pink safety notices adorn the walls of Southampton (N.Y.) Hospital's cardiopulmonary rehabilitation gym that read, "Due to the fact that we have patients with heart conditions we cannot allow political debates in the gym," The East Hampton Star reports.
Jessica Swiatocha, a nurse practitioner and the manager of cardiopulmonary rehab and wellness services at Southampton Hospital, told the newspaper she and her colleagues decided to implement the rule about a month ago after receiving patient complaints about the spirited discussions taking place in the gym.
For example, a woman got sandwiched between a Donald Trump supporter and a Hillary Clinton supporter during a political discussion while she was walking on a treadmill, Ms. Swiatocha told The East Hampton Star. Another exerciser brought a Clinton book to the gym with a fake signature as a joke and gave it to a Trump supporter, according to the report.
Southampton Hospital is not the only organization to caution against heated political debate. Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association reported 52 percent of Americans find the election to be a source of stress. It recommended those who are stressed about the election limit media consumption and avoid discussions about the election if they could escalate.
Southampton Hospital's signs seem to have cut down significantly on the political banter in the gym, and it plans to remove them on Election Day, according to the report.
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