Vitalyst Spark

E84: Health Coverage Open Enrollment Revisited

We are revisiting our Health Coverage Open Enrollment podcast. There are just a few more days to enroll in Marketplace health coverage!

 

Today our topic is health coverage - specifically open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace, aka the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. If you or anyone you know currently do not have health insurance coverage – during a pandemic no less – now is your time!

Between November 1 and December 15, you can get free help from impartial, certified counselors who will help you get no-cost, low-cost, or the most affordable coverage options available.

We’re going to get into revealing details of who doesn’t have coverage and how accessible no-cost or low-cost coverage might be for many currently uninsured Arizonans. We’re also going to talk about what the Affordable Care Act really gave us – and what we could all lose out on if it were to go away. And we’re going to get into those details because, honestly, it is a reality of U.S. health care that some type of insurance coverage is needed in order to get healthy and stay healthy. And here’s the thing: the Affordable Care Act is an expansive law that benefits all of us in ways we might even be starting to take for granted. Ending it will negatively affect everyone’s well-being, yet somehow there are many misleading messages are out there trying to discourage people about its very existence and functions.

Our guests today have a lot to say about all of this, so let’s get to it. It’s time to talk about access to coverage and care, in particular just how accessible 2021 health insurance coverage is between right now and December 15, 2020.

E83: The Opioid Crisis Revisited

We are revisiting our Opioid Crisis podcast from May 3, 2021 as a report was released that overdoses surged in 2020.

 

As we have throughout the pandemic, it’s time to check in on a community health issue that pre-dated COVID and has only become more pressing since. As you’ll hear more about from our guests, 2019 was supposed to have been a peak level of opioid addiction and misuse, but things look much different now. There is a pernicious shift from dirty heroin to clean prescription drugs, but that clean perception is deceptive, given the power and peril that an opioid like Fentanyl delivers. In basic grade school economic terms, we are witnessing more supply and more demand than ever before. Opioids are a nearly ubiquitous threat to Arizonans, and this crisis is very much worthy of deeper discussion.

You’re about to hear from two long-term warriors in the fight against addiction and overdose – one from an innovative and lifesaving recovery center, and one from the center of Arizona’s acute care and addiction medicine leadership. So let’s get to it. Together, we’re about to get updated on the opioid and opiate landscape, its frustrations and surprises, treatment options, and even a couple of drop the mic moments regarding the Opioid Crisis, as of May 3, 2021.

E82: Arizona's Eviction Crisis Revisted

We are revisiting our Eviction Crisis episode from January 11, 2021 as the eviction moratorium comes to an end in just a few days.

 

We’re taking a look at the potential powder keg of pending evictions in Arizona. Even as the pandemic is putting an enormous strain on health care systems, its economic impacts are profound and equally difficult to fathom. According to the National Council of State Housing Agencies, upwards of 250,000 renters are currently in danger of eviction.

We’ve said it many times before. Housing IS health. So, how do we work to avoid yet another potential health crisis triggered by evictions? That is the half-a-billion dollar question. Landlord communications, rental assistance, utility assistance, and legal assistance are all parts of the equation. Help is on the way for landlords and renters. To make sure people are aware of what’s going on and what’s possible, we’ve got three great guests from the legal realm and a new website to talk about at azevictionhelp.org.

It’s time to talk about the pending wave of evictions and Arizona. Most importantly, it’s time to talk about resources to help stem that tide, as of January 11, 2021.

Links:

• azevictionhelp.org
• State Bar of Arizona
• Community Legal Services
• DNA-People's Legal Services
• Southern Arizona Legal Aid

E81: Transitions, A Podcast Update

Today we’re connecting with you, our listeners for whom we are so grateful, with a brief message to talk about what’s next for this summer, and for this podcast.

E80: Health and Housing Update - 7/6/21

in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, here are two truths that will be at the heart of today’s episode: (1) housing is health; and (2) the dearth of supportive, affordable, and workforce housing in Arizona continues to rear its head when it comes to Arizona residents and their ability to be well. Never was the idea of housing as health made more obvious than during the worst moments of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Those moments were an exclamation point on what the data already has told us for years: Health outcomes are dramatically better – and health care costs are dramatically lower – when Arizonans have affordable quality housing for shelter and respite.

The pandemic continues (particularly with the rise of the delta variant), extreme heat has already left its first mark on Arizonans, and yet the struggle for more housing that’s available to more people continues. You’re about to hear from three Arizona experts about why that is the case, and what we can do about it. (Spoiler alert: a big element that we’re missing rhymes with “analytical skill.”) Our experts have a lot to share, including multiple publications and an important toolkit, links to all of which are found in our show notes.

So let’s get to it: It’s time to talk about inclusionary zoning, LIHTC, nimbyism, ADUs, teacherages, a trust fund, and so much more, as of July 6, 2021.

Links:

• Arizona Housing Coalition Best Practice Toolkit for Municipalities, for Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing
• How School Districts Can Create Attainable Housing Opportunities
• Policies for Investment Without Displacement Executive Summary

E79: Celebrating Pride Month 2021

As Pride Month 2021 comes to a close, take the time to hear from two awesome Arizonans who are our favorite kinds of folks for you to meet. You might think, “yeah sure,” here come people who are clearly passionate about something that matters to them. But listen carefully to this conversation, and we’d wager that you’ll discover two people who connect, invest, collaborate, and advocate because they care about all of us together. They care about our entire state’s health and well-being. They model the behaviors they seek.

So let’s get to it: It’s time to talk about the power of inclusion over exclusion, Non Discrimination Ordinances over Ballot measures , movements over marginalization, mega-tents over megaphones, and much more, as of June 28, 2021.

 

E78: Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops

Today, our topic is first responders and behavioral health. More specifically, we’re diving into an amazing documentary called Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops.

As you’re about to hear, documentary filmmaker Jenifer McShane spent years following the work of two members of the San Antonio Police Department’s Behavioral Health Unit. Viewers of the film walk in their shoes, as well as in the shoes of the people that these officers are assisting.

It is nothing short of powerful filmmaking regarding a transformational approach to mental health crisis response - and we should note that this film exists thanks to significant support from Arizona’s own David and Lura Lovell Foundation. In this episode you’re going to hear directly from Jen and officer Ernie Stevens. At the end of this podcast, we’re going to give you information on how to stream Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops. And more importantly, how all first responders nationwide can experience this fantastic film for free right now.

So let’s get to it: It’s time to talk about first responders, the people they’re called upon to help, the connection and empathy that is central to a better outcome, and much more, as of June 14, 2021.

Links:

• Ernieandjoethefilm.com
• The David and Lura Lovell Foundation

E77: COVID-19 Roundtable Update - 6/7/21

Today’s COVID-19 Roundtable is set against the backdrop of continued, mostly positive developments in Arizona. U.S. case rates have hit the lowest point since the pandemic began, Arizona case rates are lower but stubbornly plateauing, while vaccination rates are consistently declining. The Federal goal of 70% vaccination by the 4^th of July has been reached by 12 U.S. states. Projections tend to show that Arizona will not join them.

Meanwhile, data shows that unvaccinated Arizonans with no antibodies from previous infection face the same risk of infection as ever. Of course, from a population health perspective that group of Arizonans becomes smaller by the day.

There is still a lot to process, a lot to learn from, and a lot to improve upon. So let’s get to it: it’s time to talk about the public health value of school closures, comparison of the current COVID impact to the typical flu season, the future of telehealth and telework, variants, vaccines, the worldwide pandemic context and more, as of June 7, 2021

E76: COVID-19 Roundtable Update -5/24/21

This pandemic certainly isn’t over yet, but sharper edges of uncertainty are finally starting to round off somewhat, which gives us more space to think, to process what we’ve been going through, and to learn – or to at least identify what we want to learn more about. The focus now is on achieving herd immunity, drawing upon data and lessons, and building a better future.

This is our first episode since the CDC changed masking requirements, allowing vaccinated Americans to generally put their masks aside, while putting the rest of us on the honor system to stay masked if not vaccinated. Some are happy, some are frustrated, others are annoyed. Polling indicates that Americans don’t trust each other to do the right thing. Daily life is still a negotiation of will vs. rules, of grace vs. anger, and of individual rights vs. public space.

So let’s get to it. It’s time to talk about retail vaccine strategy, return on sacrifice analysis, the multiple aspects of the schools conundrum and more as of May 24, 2021.

E75: Redistricting in Arizona

We’re here today to dig into a once-in-a-decade opportunity. It goes by the unsexy, easy-to-overlook term “redistricting,” but do not lulled into complacency by it. In a nutshell, this is about creating the boundaries of the geographic areas that each member of Congress, for example, will be representing. It is, in fact, the next key and crucial step after the just-completed 2020 Census count. And the time to jump in and get this process right is – you guessed it – now.

So why, you might be asking, is a health foundation talking about this? That’s easier to answer than it might at first appear, because redistricting has cascading effects on communities’ capacities to be healthy and well. We’re talking about voice, power, and resources – specifically, who’s voices are heard, what community power is reflected in policy decisions, and what resources that support community health are adequately and appropriately allocated to communities. There are no geography lessons in this podcast. Politics are not our interest either. For the partners focused on bringing diverse communities to the redistricting process, this is about people. Representation and voice are core concepts not only of our democracy, but of our health and well-being.

So let’s get to it. It’s time to wrap our heads around something that seems conceptually simple but is practically quite complex, and to understand it today because of how much it matters for Arizonans’ health over the next decade of tomorrows, as of May 17, 2021

Link: Why Redistricting Matters