Vitalyst Spark

E98: Healthy Communities, One Bill at a Time

In this episode, we’re talking about Arizona’s legislative session with Zaida Dedolph, Health Policy Director with Children’s Action Alliance. Yes, we’re all exhausted from the constant barrage of partisanship and political anger we hear about on a daily basis, but rest assured, this is not one of those conversations.  Instead, this is a conversation that attempts to understand the fundamental power dynamics currently at play within Arizona’s Legislature, and offers an overview of a handful of promising bills you may not be aware of that are moving through the lawmaking process.  Zaida and I talked on February 25, 2022, at the end of what’s know as “cross over week” at the legislature. It’s often stated that change is the only constant, and that is certainly the case at the legislature, so things may have changed by the time you hear this.  We hope you enjoy.

 

Links for show notes:

• Learn more about Children’s Action Alliance: www.azchildren.org
• Learn more about the Arizona Public Health Association: www.azpha.org
• View Vitalyst’s list of legislative priorities: www.vitalysthealth.org/healthpolicy

E97: Black History, Black Arizona

In recognition of Black History month, we’re speaking with two leaders in Arizona who are working to advance the health and well-being of Black Arizonans. Teniqua Broughton is the Executive Director of the State of Black Arizona, an organization best known for its thorough publications that highlight…well…the state of Black Arizona. These ‘Volumes’, as they’re titled, provide an evidence-based foundation from which one can better understand the experience of African Americans in our state. We’re also thrilled to welcome Dr. Charlene Tarver, CEO of the Women’s Economic Institute, an organization working in Arizona and New York to advance economic security for all women and girls, with a specific focus on Black women. During the pandemic, Dr. Tarver also founded the Black Arizona COVID-19 Task Force, which, as you’ll hear, gained national attention for its work. Let’s dive in. 

• • Supporting Black-led Organizations – Here’s a list of resources for community members, partners, and fundholders who are interested in supporting Black-led organizations.

E96: COVID-19 Roundtable Update

This week we’re back with our COVID-19 Roundtables guests, Dr. Kara Geren, Dr. Joshua LaBaer and Will Humble, discussing the latest – dare I say – optimistic developments in the pandemic.  We’ve been on this ride before, and we know we’re not out of the woods. Far too many Arizonans are still being infected with COVID-19 each day and our hospitals are under extreme pressure, but the latest research and trends do indicate that brighter days are within sight.

E95: Creating Vibrant Communities with Arizona Town Hall

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.

E94: COVID-19 Roundtable Update

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.

E93: Reflections in Community Health

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.

E92: The Growth of Food in Phoenix

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.

E91: Elements of a Healthy Tribal Community

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

E90: Stigma & Affordable Housing

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.

E89: COVID-19 Roundtable Update

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.