Episodes

Monday Jan 08, 2024
E123: Housing Solutions_Manufactured Housing
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Monday Jan 08, 2024
On this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we get to listen to housing experts discuss manufactured housing and how Arizona is addressing it as a sustainable source of housing across the state. Our director of Healthy Communities, Gabriel Jaramillo, guest hosts this episode with Sara Liguori from the Arizona Community Foundation, Cindy Stotler of Phoenix IDA, and Paul Bradley of ROC USA.
Guests
Gabriel Jaramillo
Sara Liguori, Director, Impact Investing, Arizona Community Foundation
Cindy Stotler, Housing Director, Phoenix IDA
Paul Bradley, President, ROC USA
Housing: Understanding Manufactured Housing
Links

Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
On today’s episode, we are talking healthcare from AHCCCS to KidsCare, to the healthcare marketplace open enrollment period. Joining us today are Claudia Maldonado from the Arizona Alliance of Community Health Centers, and our newest team member here at Vitalyst, Ana Roscetti, Director of State Health Policy and Advocacy. We discuss the Cover Arizona Coalition, Medicaid Redetermination, the Healthcare Marketplace and open enrollment. We hope it’s an informative conversation.
Notes / Links
To speak with an assister about your health insurance options, visit www.coveraz.org or call 2-1-1.
Medicaid/AHCCCS members can update their information on www.healthearizonaplus.gov.

Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
E121: Where is Arizona: First Responders and Mental Health Integration
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
On this episode, we host Sabrina Talyor of the Phoenix Police Department and Jesus Rivera of Surprise Fire-Medical. Over the past decade, there has been a lot of talk and programs aimed at increasing mental health training among emergency response personnel to better serve people experiencing crises. It’s the topic of focus in the Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration Spark Report. With Sabrina and Jesus we explore what is making Arizona one of the leading states when it comes to integrating mental health practices.
Links:
Arizona’s Family Segment Interview Jesus Rivera and Sabrina Taylor
Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration Spark Report
Arizona Treat & Refer Core Education Model Workbook
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Methods for Using Data to Inform Practice

Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
E120: Feeding Matters: The Systems Change Behind Pediatric Feeding Disorder
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
On this episode, we are talking about systems change with Jacklyn Pederson of Feeding Matters. The organization has a long history of partnership with Vitalyst, and it showcases how willpower can bring together partners committed to changing a flawed system. Through their 2016 Innovation Grant, Feeding Matters convened partners to create a medically recognized name for pediatric feeding struggles and establish replicable and scalable norms for identification, early intervention, and reimbursement. The result: Pediatric Feeding Disorder, an internationally recognized diagnosis practitioners can work from. Jacklyn shares how partners worked before the creation of a diagnosis and how the work continues.
Links
Feeding Matters https://www.feedingmatters.org/
The History of PFD The History of PFD - Feeding Matters
Resources for Families Family Support - Feeding Matters

Thursday Oct 05, 2023
E119: Arizona Town Hall: Equity for All Arizonans
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
On this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we will be talking to Tara Jackson, President of Arizona Town Hall. The current topic Town Hall is convening Arizonans to discuss is one that is key to all of us, Equity for All Arizonans. Equity is critical if we want to maximize the potential of our communities, and that takes understanding what equity is and its true benefits. Tara will tell us more about the Town Hall process and how the Town Hall team is taking this topic to communities across the state.
Links
Equity for All Arizonans Background Report

Friday Sep 15, 2023
E118: The Nature Conservancy and the Evolution of Systems Change
Friday Sep 15, 2023
Friday Sep 15, 2023
On this episode, we are talking to Anna Bettis, Arizona Healthy Cities Program Director at The Nature Conservancy. We are talking about the Conservancy’s 2017 Innovation grant, predecessor to Vitalyst’s Systems Change Grants. The grant was provided so the Nature Conservancy and partners could work with communities and create Heat Action Planning Guides, which identified strategies to reduce heat and improve the ability of residents to deal with heat. Anna will tell us what this project has evolved into, what it takes to create systems change, and how systems change is a moving target. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
Show notes / Links
- EPA webinar: https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/equity-action-heat-planning-greater-phoenix
- Changing the Story of Heat in Metro Phoenix Together: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b9c35f205ea14015a23b446ff75eeeb4
- Urban Heat Leadership Academy Youtube channel:

Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
E117 - Superior: Gateway to the Copper Corridor
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
On this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we are joined by Chris Casillas of Regenerating Sonora. He talks to us about his family’s ties to the Copper Corridor, his TAPAZ Sponsored Project Regenerating Sonora, and what is happening in Superior, Arizona, which will host the 12th Annual Prickly Pear Festival on Saturday, August 26th, 2023.
Links:

Friday Jul 28, 2023
E116: The Long Game: A Conversation with Floribella Redondo of AzCHOW
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Friday Jul 28, 2023
On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Floribella Redondo, pioneer in the community health worker community in Arizona, and president of the Arizona Community Health Workers Association (AzCHOW). We talk about the difference between community health representatives, community health workers, and promotoras, and the beginnings of the work in Arizona. We also dive into what it took to pass legislation, the patience systems change takes.
Links
Arizona Community Health Workers Association (azchow.org)

Monday Jun 26, 2023
E115: Systems Change Takes Time: Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
Monday Jun 26, 2023
Monday Jun 26, 2023
During this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we will be exploring systems change and talking to 2023 Systems Change Grant recipient Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth to talk to us about their Self-Healing Community System and Policy Change in Coconino County initiative. We will be joined by members of the Coalition, including Virginia Watahomigie, Executive Director; Becky Daggett, Mayor of Flagstaff; and Andrea Meronuck, Clinical Director with Northland Family Help Center.
Links
Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth https://coconinokids.org/
Northland Family Help Center https://northlandfamily.org/
City of Flagstaff Mayor’s Office https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1406/Mayor-Council
Self-Healing Communities with Kevin Campbell https://coconinokids.org/self-healing-communities-with-kevin-campbell/
Comprehensive Analysis of Historical Trauma https://coconinokids.org/comprehensive-analysis-of-historical-trauma/
Igniting Self-Healing Communities Informant Interviews (Spark Grant) https://coconinokids.org/shc-partners/

Friday Jun 09, 2023
E114: The Arizona Food Systems Network
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
On this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we are joined by Kenneth Steel and Shelby Thompson from Pinnacle Prevention. We are talking about food systems in Arizona and the work of the Arizona Food Systems Network.
Shownotes / Links
Arizona Food Systems Network www.azfsn.org
Pinnacle Prevention https://www.pinnacleprevention.org/
Farm Bill Overview https://www.usda.gov/farmbill
Anti-Hunger & Food Systems Advocacy Call Registration https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kc-6grT4sHdSXHCu2ghuuKaYeu9ZifU5_#/registration