In this rewind episode, we explore the concept of weathering — the cumulative, biological toll that chronic stress from living in an unjust society can have on people from marginalized communities. This framework helps explain why health disparities persist, and why they often deepen over time.

Our guest is Dr. Arline Geronimus, a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and Institute for Social Research. She is also affiliated with the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, and is the author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.

Dr. Geronimus joins us to unpack the science behind weathering, the lived realities it reflects, and what it means for public health, policy, and equity.

In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Joyce Knestrick sits down with Mia L. Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Agape Family Health, a community‑rooted health system serving Jacksonville with comprehensive medical, pharmaceutical, and behavioral health services.

Agape’s mission is simple and powerful: “everyone deserves quality, affordable care delivered with compassion, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.” Mia shares the experiences that shaped her path to leadership and the values that fuel her commitment to community‑centered care. She discusses the gaps she saw when stepping into her role and how Agape works every day to remove barriers to access—from sliding‑scale payment options to neighborhood‑based clinics across Jacksonville.

Together, Joyce and Mia explore:

Mia also shares powerful stories of impact—moments when Agape’s care changed the trajectory of someone’s life—and offers practical advice for clinicians and listeners who want to support health equity in their own communities.

This episode is essential listening for anyone working in community health, public health, philanthropy, health equity, or systems‑level change.

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In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Desiree Clemons talks with Maria Haugen, Founder and CEO of FoXX Health.

After experiencing months of dismissed symptoms, delayed testing, and uncertainty, Maria created FoXX—a daily health companion designed to help women track symptoms, prepare for appointments, and advocate for better care. Her story reflects a reality many women face in healthcare, and FoXX was built to ensure no woman has to wait months to be heard.

Maria shares how her personal health scare became the catalyst for a tool that turns lived experience into clarity, confidence, and actionable data. She explains the gaps she encountered—missed warning signs, lack of preparation tools, and the emotional toll of not being believed—and how those moments shaped the core features of FoXX from day one.

Desiree and Maria explore FoXX Health’s approach and discuss the broader landscape of women’s health, including:

How daily symptom tracking helps women communicate more effectively with clinicians

The importance of clinical credibility, privacy, and safety in digital health tools

Why women’s health is often treated as “niche,” and how that leads to worse outcomes

What developments give Maria hope for progress in women’s health equity

Lessons from fundraising and the challenges of building consumer‑focused health technology

Maria also reflects on earning third place at Movement Is Life’s 2025 PowerHER Pitch Competition—a recognition of her vision, momentum, and commitment to improving women’s health experiences.

This episode offers insights for anyone working in women’s health, digital health innovation, patient advocacy, community health, or health equity.

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What does real community‑centered health equity look like, and what does it take to sustain it? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Jerail Fennell sits down with two powerful leaders in community health: Dr. Atiya Abdelmalik and ReGina Newkirk Rucci.

Together, they unpack the lived experiences, grassroots strategies, and relationship‑building that fuel their work across the country. From disrupting harmful systems to investing in local leadership, Dr. A and ReGina share what it truly means to listen to communities, partner with them, and build solutions that last. Drawing from their work with the Center for Thriving Communities, they discuss:

Dr. A also reflects on her book, A Life Worth Saving, and the belief that every life and every community deserves to thrive. A must‑hear conversation for anyone working in health equity, community engagement, philanthropy, public health, or systems change.

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How do we protect and advance health equity in a rapidly changing political and legal landscape?

In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Christin Zollicoffer sits down with Dr. Giridhar Mallya — family physician, policy leader, and Senior Policy Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — to explore the future of health and racial equity work.

Dr. Mallya shares how his family’s immigrant story shaped his belief in the power of policy, and why funders must stay committed to equity even as restrictive laws and legal challenges grow across the country. He breaks down what organizations can do to stay mission‑aligned, legally sound, and resilient.

In this episode, Dr. Mallya discusses:

A powerful conversation for funders, practitioners, and community leaders working to advance equity in challenging times.

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What does it take to rise after life tells you “you can’t”? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, we sit down with Grace Moore—Financial Empowerment Specialist, Founder, Speaker, and 2025 Movement Is Life Health Summit Speaker—whose journey is a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative force of mindset.

At just 17, Grace was told she would never walk again. After waking from a nap with her left leg paralyzed, she faced a defining crossroads: accept limitation or choose possibility. She chose movement—of the body, the mind, and the spirit. Today, Grace speaks from the lens of the patient, sharing what it looks like to keep moving forward while living with daily pain. Her message is simple but profound: we can choose to be “up and able” rather than “down and defeated.”

Grace also brings her expertise in financial wellness to the conversation, highlighting how financial empowerment—especially for seniors—directly connects to health equity, stability, and community well‑being. She breaks down the barriers people face, the myths that hold them back, and the power of language to either uplift or limit our lives.

In this episode, Grace opens up about:

• Her journey from paralysis to purpose

• How mindset can shift the trajectory of your life

• Why financial empowerment is a health equity issue

• The importance of speaking life into yourself and others

• Her upcoming journal, Graceful Movement, and how it helps readers embrace pain with compassion and courage

Grace’s story is a reminder that movement isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, mental, and deeply personal. Her voice is one of hope, empowerment, and unwavering belief in what’s possible.

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What does it really take for women to break free from burnout and reclaim their health, confidence, and power? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, we sit down with fitness entrepreneur and wellness leader Tyneka Pack, Founder & CEO of IMPACKT Fitness, to explore how movement can transform not just bodies, but entire careers and communities.

Tyneka shares how her own journey through exhaustion and imbalance fueled her mission to help women lead with strength, clarity, and sustainability. From dismantling fitness myths to building workplace cultures that actually support well‑being, she breaks down what true wellness looks like—beyond the gym and beyond the highlight reel.

She also reflects on the systemic barriers that shape women’s health, the importance of accessible wellness spaces, and why taking imperfect action is the key to lasting change.

Plus:

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Mental health is an important part of our overall health, but many people confront barriers that keep them from accessing the mental health care they need.

A program in Boston aims to  address mental health disparities by disrupting traditional health care models. The Boston Emergency Services Team, or BEST, is led by Dr. David Henderson, chief of psychiatry at Boston Medical Center. 

BEST brings together mental health providers, community resources, law enforcement, and the judicial system to deliver care to people in need of mental health services.

Henderson says bringing mental health providers alongside police responding to calls for service for mental health needs has helped reduce the number of people with mental illness ending up in jails and prisons.

“The criminal justice system has, by default, become one of the largest mental health systems … around the country as well,” Henderson says. “People with mental illness are in jails and prisons, at a percentage that they really should not be.”

In a conversation that first published in 2024, Henderson speaks with Movement Is Life’s Hadiya Green about what it takes to ensure people in need of mental health services get the help they need, why it’s important to train providers to recognize unconscious biases, and what it means to provide trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care.

When it comes to addressing health disparities, it’s critically important that healthcare providers and researchers take a proactive approach to building trust with the communities we aim to serve.

As founding director of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities at UC Davis, Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola has decades of experience with this approach.

“It is possible to overcome the barriers of access to care if we can change our paradigm,” he says. “

In this episode of the Health Disparities podcast, Dr. Aguilar speaks with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Zachary Lum about his work, which focuses on health disparities, mental health in underserved populations, community-engaged research and Latino health. 

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