Vitalyst Spark

Today, we’re talking about the importance of coming together – across sectors, across populations, across issues – to find common ground.  Sounds like a pipe dream, right?  Well, lucky for us, one Arizona-based organization has 60 years of experience under its belt doing just that: hosting forums, facilitating dialogue and lifting consensus above conflict.  We’re talking about the Arizona Town Hall and its topic for 2022: creating vibrant communities.  We hope you enjoy.

Two months ago, we hosted what we hoped would be our final COVID-19 Roundtable.  Infections were declining and we seemed to be entering into a new and safer normal.  Wishful thinking.  Today, we stand on the shoreline, the water level is rising, and we await the tidal wave named Omicron we know is about to hit.  So, it’s bittersweet that we find ourselves speaking yet again with our COVID-19 Roundtable guests to clarify what we know and don’t know about this variant and its potential impact.

We’ve made it to December of 2021 – the end of another year.  It’s a time to give thanks, a time to celebrate, and a time to reflect.  In that spirit, we’re here to reflect on the extraordinary careers of two public health leaders in Arizona, Debbie McCune Davis and Allen Gjersvig, both of whom will soon be transitioning to their next chapter: retirement. But before they ride into the sunset, or fly to Europe, or drive to the mountains, we wanted to take a few minutes to highlight these two individuals who have made an indelible mark on Arizona’s public health system.

We’ve officially made it to the holiday season of 2021, and for many of us, that means family, friends and FOOD!  So today, we’re catching up with two leaders in Phoenix’s food system: Rosanne Albright with the City of Phoenix and Darren Chapman with TigerMountain Foundation. These two individuals are here to give us a behind the scenes look at their work; to highlight the complexities of where our food comes from; and to remind us about the expansive power of food. So pull up a chair, grab a fork and enjoy this conversation about the growth of food in Phoenix.

Today, we’re excited to share some exciting news about a long-standing project we’ve been working on with Tribal partners across Arizona. By now, most of this audience is likely familiar with the Elements of a Healthy Community (“The Wheel” as it’s come to be known).  It was developed in 2017 in collaboration with many community partners to depict the breadth of factors that ultimately impact health and well-being. Since then, The Healthy Communities Wheel has served as a framework for much of Vitalyst’s work and has taken on a life of its own across other organizations, coalitions and even within local governments. It is, however, a framework, and frameworks are often imperfect tools that can and should be adapted as needed.  So, in 2019 and 2020, in a partnership with the Arizona Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care and the Arizona Department of Health Services, we embarked on a series of meetings with the Tribes of Arizona to develop The Elements of a Healthy Tribal Community. These discussions produced an incredible amount of insight and wisdom into Tribal perspectives on community health, and ultimately manifested in the creation of a Healthy Tribal Communities Wheel.  Today’s podcast features the key partners who made this work possible. 

Link to Elements of a Healthy Tribal Community Wheel (Full version)

Link to Elements of a Healthy Tribal Community Wheel (Short version)

Link to Webinar

Today we’re joined by three bright and talented minds to talk about affordable housing in Arizona: what it means, what modern “affordable” housing actually looks like, and how outdated stigma and ideas about the American dream often hinders progress toward ensuring that everyone has a place to call home. Our guests include Denise Resnik, Founder and President/CEO of First Place AZ and co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Dave Brown, CEO of Valley Leadership and Chair of Home Matters to AZ, and Gabriel Jaramillo, Director of Healthy Communities for Vitalyst Health Foundation.

Although many of us are still working remotely and living a large part of our lives through a computer screen, when we look outside, things look…dare I say, kind of normal.  Cars are on the streets, patrons are visiting restaurants and businesses, and we’re seeing our neighbors (real people) emerge from months of hibernating during the Arizona summer.  These are promising signs as more and more Arizonans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, use masks indoors and continue to protect themselves from the effects of COVID-19.  But as you’ll hear from our guests, this is not, and cannot, be the new normal.  Infection rates remain suspended at a stubbornly high level, and our healthcare providers – the same selfless, heroic people we once cheered and celebrated – are finding themselves nearly two years into a pandemic, battling not only a virus, but also fatigue and the challenges of workforce shortages. Today’s podcast is a reminder that the amount of fuel left for the pandemic may be diminishing, but there’s still a great deal of work to be done before we stop this fire. 

It’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, so today we’re speaking with three leaders working to improve the health and well-being of Hispanic communities in Arizona. Amanda Aguirre is the President and CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Floribella Redondo-Martinez is the Executive Director of the Arizona Community Health Workers Association (commonly known as AZCHOW) and Stephanie Parra serves as Executive Director for All in Education. What’s perhaps most memorable about this panel is that these leaders aren’t only working for Arizona’s Hispanic communities, but they are of Arizona’s Hispanic communities and work with their communities. Hispanic heritage may be officially “appreciated” for just 30 days each year in the US, but for these three women, there’s no question it is the fuel that drives them every single day.

Today we’re back with our COVID-19 Roundtable. It’s almost Fall, and much like the temperatures in Arizona, COVID-19 numbers are starting to stabilize, but they’re still too high for comfort.  It’s been one month since we last spoke with our COVID-19 panelists, and in that time, we’ve experienced what seems to be a turn for the better. But will these improvements last? What effect will recent local and federal policies have on transmission?

To discuss those topics and much more, we’re speaking with Dr. Kara Geren of Valleywise Health, Dr. Joshua LaBaer from ASU’s Biodesign Institute and Will Humble from the Arizona Public Health Association.

Today we’re joined by three trailblazing advocates who are focused on improving health and well-being in Arizona using a little tool called public policy. If you’re a frequent listener of these podcasts, the idea that ‘health is more than healthcare’ shouldn’t be a new concept to you. What may be less intuitive, however, is how this concept comes to life through public policy – specifically, through state legislation. So today, we’re reflecting on the 2021 legislative session in Arizona, with a particular focus on housing, food and children’s health.

If, upon hearing the word “legislation,” you felt your eyes start to roll into the back of your head, don’t worry, for you are not alone. It’s no secret that the very idea of legislation or working with a state legislature can cause many of us to shy away, yawn or stare blankly into the distance, but our guests today highlight inspiring real-world experiences that demystify lawmaking and show the great power of policy to improve community health.

If there’s one thing to take home from this conversation, it’s a reminder that health isn’t simply determined by what’s within us, it’s also governed by what’s around us. Let’s dive in.