The U.S. Senate is currently considering a budget proposal that includes significant changes to Medicaid, building upon the House-passed "Big Beautiful Bill." While the Senate version is still under negotiation, some of the proposed changes to Medicaid, or AHCCCS in Arizona, include work requirements, provider tax limits, prohibitions on gender-affirming care, and increasing the frequency of eligibility verification to twice a year, among others. On this episode, we delve into the specifics of what this budget could mean for Medicaid with Vitalyst Trustees Will Humble, Ann-Marie Alameddin, and Wendy Armendariz, as they view it from various public health perspectives. 

Links: 

Will's Blog on Medicaid 

AZFamily Story About Impact on Rural Communities and Hospitals

Meidcaid Matters Video by NOAH

Medicaid has significantly improved access to health care for rural communities in Arizona by providing coverage to low-income individuals, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It has helped sustain rural hospitals and clinics by offering crucial funding, reducing uncompensated care costs. As a result, Medicaid has played a vital role in maintaining health care infrastructure and improving health outcomes in these underserved areas. Dr. Jonathan Melk, medical doctor and chief executive officer of Chiricahua Community Health Centers based in southeastern Arizona in Cochise County, joined us to shed light on rural health care. 

On this episode, Reverend Michael Lessard of Pastoral Care Associates, a Vitalyst Spark Grant recipient, joined us before they held their Path to Complete Care Symposium. We talk about the importance of faith in healing, pastoral care and what was to come at the symposium. 

As part of an ongoing series looking into local practices, Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration Spark Brief author, Matt Eckhoff, hosted a conversation with Dr. Gail Bradley, Emergency Medical Services & Trauma System, Medical Director, Arizona Department of Health Services; Captain Michelle Pickrom, Tucson Police Department; Sharon McDonough, Director, Public Safety Communications Department, City of Tucson; and Matt Shaw, Battalion Chief, Guardian Medical Transport in Flagstaff and rural northern Arizona. This conversation turned the lens inward into practices used by local departments to help their first responders deal with the trauma they encounter while serving communities.

Links

Arizona First Responder Systems Mental Health Integration

On this episode, we are joined by the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona. Juan Salas, Director of Operations and Accounting, and Kelsey Otten, Assistant Director of Partner Engagement share about fiscal sponsorship, what it is, what services are available, what organizations qualify, and much more. 

TAPAZ Website 

Learn More About Becoming a Sponsored Project 

Vitalyst opened its Discovery Process on August 1 for potential partners to explore partnership opportunities. Through the Discovery Process, Vitalyst team members learn about opportunities to support coalitions on their systems change journey. On this conversation with CEO Suzanne Pfister, and Director of Strategic Community Partnerships David Martinez III, we walk listeners through Vitalyst's different grant opportunities. 

Links

Vitalyst Grants and Partnership Opportunities 

Spark Report: Understanding Systems Change

In March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved AHCCCS's expansion of KidsCare eligibility to 225% of the federal poverty level, up from the earlier 200% cap. KidsCare will now allow kids whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid but less than 225% of the poverty line, which is right around $70,200 for a family of four, to pay an affordable premium for quality Medicaid (AHCCCS) coverage. Today’s conversation focuses on how Arizonans can connect to KidsCare and other resources to receive the healthcare coverage they need for their families.

Links

Cover Arizona Coalition KidsCare page

AHCCCS KidsCare page

Alliance of Arizona Community Health Center’s Outreach & Enrollment Page

Children’s Action Alliance Advocacy & Outreach page AHCCCS Map of Uninsured Hotspots

In episode 130, we spent time with Sara Gonzalez, Belen Gonzalez, and Melia Dunn, talking about the Arizona Emerging Leaders Network and its origins and evolution. Now, we get to sit with one of the executive directors who was part of the Emerging Leaders Network. Chris Tiffany, Executive Director of Raising Special Kids, sat down with Melia Dunn and me and shared very candidly what a personal and organizational DEI journey can be—from victories to struggles.

Links

Raising Special Kids Website: https://raisingspecialkids.org/

Arizona Emerging Leaders Event Page: https://hexagon-sawfish-wahp.squarespace.com/azeml-learningseries

Our ongoing series looking into local emergency response practices, Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration Spark Brief author Matt Eckhoff, hosted a conversation with Sharon McDonough, Director, Public Safety Communications Department, City of Tucson; Ana Corcoran, Administrator at Public Safety Communications Department, City of Tucson; and Amy Devins, Director, First Responder Services and Urgent Engagement, Arizona Complete Health, to learn more about Tucson's emergency response network.

Here at Vitalyst, one of our programmatic priorities is to support statewide housing initiatives along the spectrum of housing types. The past few years, this has meant a lot of capacity building for organizations, whether that is schools or, more recently, churches, to explore creating housing options for members of our community. This also means we collaborate with a lot of partners, including the Arizona Housing Coalition. George Campbell and Jamie Podratz from the Coalition joined us for a conversation to learn more about their work and initiatives.

Links

Arizona Housing Coalition - Arizona Housing Coalition (azhousingcoalition.org)

Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance - Arizona Housing Coalition (azhousingcoalition.org)

Grant and Per Diem Program - VA Homeless Programs

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (va.gov)

Temporary and Permanent Supportive Housing Solutions for Veterans (usvets.org)

Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans - Meeting the needs of Vets since 2003

The Arizona Emerging Leadership Network is a statewide network of emerging leaders willing to invest time, talent, and treasure in recognizing the need for diverse and safe spaces to Convene around shared Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DEI) values. Participants capacity as Emerging leaders in Arizona have been built to work more intentionally and equitably supports communities and leaders to transformational change.

Links:

• AZEML Learning Series Events Website

May Workshop:

• Eventbrite Registration Page

In this candid conversation, Matt Eckoff, Author of the Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration Spark Brief, speaks with Captain Seth Gregar of the City of Flagstaff Fire Department and Bryan Gest and Brad Mattingly of Terros Health as they discuss the past two years since the City of Flagstaff's Community Alliance Response and Engagement (CARE) program was implemented. Learn more about how the program works and what challenges and opportunities they see as others may implement similar programs.

Links

Arizona First Responder Systems and Mental Health Integration - Vitalyst Health

Coconino Voices: Terros Health and City of Flagstaff expand partnership to pay dividends for community | Columnists | azdailysun.com

Partners across the nation have found an untapped resource of land: churches. Vitalyst has been working with churches as part of an evolution of its school districts and housing work. LISC has been working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide information and tools to support faith-based organizations as they explore housing development. In this episode, we will explore how these two initiatives intersect and what opportunities are available.

Links and Resources

Guide:Working With Faith-Based Organizations on Affordable Housing Development

Webinar: Building in God's Backyard 

UCSD Housing Center for Policy and Design

Housing Development Training Institute

ARCHES Report (Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability)

This episode is completely in Spanish and provides an overview of the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona. To listen to a similar podcast in English, click here.

Hoy es un día especial – es nuestro primer episodio del podcast completamente en español. Tenemos a un invitado que ya ha estado con nosotros en el podcast. Hoy nos acompaña Juan Salas, director de Operaciones y Contabilidad de la Asociación de Asistencia Técnica de Arizona, o Technical Assistance Partnership (TAPAZ) en Ingles. Vamos a hablar sobre que es TAPAZ; que es el patrocinio fiscal y para cuales organizaciones es útil, y terminaremos con los servicios que provee TAPAZ.

Links: www.tapaz.org

This episode features some of the civic leaders working to strengthen democracy and civic life in Arizona and shows the intersection of civic engagement and health. It’s an election year, and Arizona is again at the epicenter. Let’s get the facts and explore how all registered voters could and should be voting in all elections – including primary elections, and why it all matters to the health of Arizonans, our state, and our American democracy.  

Links:

Why Primaries Matter and What to Do About It Spark Report

Strengthening Civic Health in Arizona Spark Report

Maricopa County Elections and Voter Registration information

Arizona Secretary of State Register / Update to Vote

Healthy Democracy Healthy People

Health and Democracy Index

Arizona Town Hall  

If you have been listening to the Vitalyst Spark Podcast or are a subscriber to our Vitalyst Spark News, you have likely heard us talk about our affiliate organization, the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona. On today’s episode, we talk to Kelsey Otten, Assistant Director, Partner Engagement, Vitalyst Health Foundation and the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona, to learn more about fiscal sponsorship and the services offered by TAPAZ.

Links:

www.tapaz.org

National Network of Fiscal Sponsors Field Scan 2023 Report

The legislative session is in full swing.  We recently spoke with Vitalyst Trustee and Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association, Will Humble, Vitalyst’s Gabriel Jaramillo and Ana Roscetti. Their conversation explores some potential bills and proposed policy updates.

Links: Will’s Blog

Vitalyst Legislative Priorities

www.azcarecheck.com

This episode of the podcast is shedding light on a topic that doesn’t often get the attention it deserves: HIV. It’s a sensitive topic, but things have come a long way since it was first discovered. We can stop HIV together. By raising awareness of the role we can all play, we help end the stigma around HIV. Through support and education, we make it easier for people living with HIV to live healthier lives. David Martinez III, Director of Strategic Partnerships, speaks with a panel of experts about initiatives at City and County levels, and how leaders and community partners are working together to create a network of services for patients and education for the public.

Links

CAN Community Health

Spectrum Medical

Aunt Rita’s Foundation  

City of Phoenix Fast-Track Cities Initiative

Maricopa County Ryan White Part A Program

Valleywise HIV/AIDS Services

NIH HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U), Treatment as Prevention

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

Vitalyst Housing Resources

Arizona Community Foundation Impact Investing

Phoenix IDA Housing Programs

ROC USA

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.

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

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

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

Equity for All Arizonans Fact Sheet

Arizona Town Hall Upcoming Events

After the passage of Prop 207 in 2020, The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was charged with creating the Justice Reinvestment Program. The proposition legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older and created the Justice Reinvestment Fund, which funds initiatives to increase safety and community resilience around arrest and incarceration, including the Justice Reinvestment Program.

There are approximately $10 million in grants across four priority areas:

1. Public and behavioral health initiatives for substance use prevention, treatment, and early intervention services.
2. Restorative justice, jail diversion, workforce development, and mentoring services for economically disadvantaged individuals in communities disproportionately affected by higher arrest and incarceration rates.
3. Addressing the root causes of crime, reducing drug-related arrests, and lowering the prison population.
4. Developing technology and programs to restore civil rights and expunging criminal records.

All information is at www.azjusticegrants.org 

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

1. EPA webinar: https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/equity-action-heat-planning-greater-phoenix
2. Changing the Story of Heat in Metro Phoenix Together: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b9c35f205ea14015a23b446ff75eeeb4
3. Urban Heat Leadership Academy Youtube channel:
   1. English: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-o5jtJniuba-zgXgBl3EoXCzTFYpqW1l
   2. Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-o5jtJniubbOSq0BlHurNYeR1JhVdVAU

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:

Regenerating Sonora

12th Annual Prickly Pear Festival

Superior Chamber of Commerce

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)

AzCHOW Training Program Approval

AHCCCS Announcement of CHW Service Reimbursement

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/

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

Today’s topic: the end of Medicaid’s continuous enrollment requirement, also known as “The Unwinding.” What is this “unwinding”? Since the beginning phases of the pandemic, the federal government has prohibited states from disenrolling Medicaid members, regardless of their eligibility status. The goal was to protect the health insurance coverage of individuals and families who were most at-risk during the pandemic. Fast forward three years, and with the fading of the pandemic, the federal government has allowed states to restart their normal process for determining Medicaid eligibility beginning April 1st. What does this mean for Arizona? It means a large number of people who are currently covered by Medicaid – roughly 650,000 Arizonans – may no longer qualify and may be at risk of losing their coverage. Fortunately, Arizona’s Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (commonly referred to as AHCCCS) and local partners have long been preparing for this unwinding and are working hard to ensure that Arizonans take action to maintain their Medicaid coverage or find quality coverage elsewhere. Today we’re talking to two colleagues who work to improve health insurance coverage across Arizona: Claudia Maldonado, with the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, and Matt Jewett, with Children’s Action Alliance. In partnership with organizations across the state, they are helping to lead the charge to protect Arizonans’ coverage during the unwinding.

Show Notes:

• Medicaid/AHCCCS members need to update their information on www.healthearizonaplus.gov.
• To speak with an assister about your health insurance options, visit www.coveraz.org or call 2-1-1.
• To find helpful materials related to the unwinding, visit www.coveraz.org/unwinding.  

On this episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast, we are talking about impact investments, and we are joined by Kerwin Brown, of UPI Loan Fund, and Dave Castillo, of Native Community Capital, two of Vitalyst’s recent impact investments. Also joining the podcast is Suzanne Pfister, Vitalyst’s President and CEO, to talk about what impact investing means to Vitalyst and philanthropy. We discuss the roots of both organizations and why it’s important for organizations to make socially conscious, impactful investments that create opportunities for underserved communities.

Show Notes Links

UPI Loan Fund

Native Community Capital CDFI

Foresight Foundation

Local First Arizona Rural Micro-Loan Fund  

Press Release: Vitalyst Unveils Program to Increase Funding Opportunities for Underserved Communities

ChangeLabs

Native Women Lead

Native Entrepreneur in Residence Program

FORGE – University of Arizona

On this episode of The Vitalyst Spark podcast, we're going to be talking about housing, a huge issue that the state is facing overall, not just through the pandemic, but prior to. Housing has been on a climb in price and rental prices continue to increase. And we're seeing a lot more people struggle, and it's getting more difficult for everyone to squeeze more out of their dollar. That's why we're talking about this today, something that Vitalyst has been involved in from a programmatic aspect for the past few years. And we've been really delving into it. We're going to be talking about housing and a newly released publication Spark Brief called Promising Housing Practices in Arizona, that features what organizations are doing across the state to mitigate the housing issue. Our guests are Suzanne Pfister, president and CEO of Vitalyst Health Foundation, Gabriel Jaramillo, Director of Healthy Communities of Vitalyst Health Foundation, and Darlene Newsom, former CEO of UMOM New Day Centers.

Guests

Suzanne Pfister, President and CEO, Vitalyst Health Foundation

Gabriel Jaramillo, Director of Healthy Communities, Vitalyst Health Foundation

Darlene Newsom, Former CEO, UMOM New Day Centers

Links

Vitalyst Housing Page

Promising Housing Practices in Arizona Spark Brief  

Promising Housing Practices Webinar with Maricopa Association of Governments

On today’s episode, we are joined by Juan Salas, Director of Operations and Accounting with the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona, or TAPAZ as we refer to it in-house. TAPAZ is a fiscal sponsorship organization that provides back office technical assistance to nonprofits across the state but he will tell us more about that. Also on today’s podcast is Nicola Winkel, Project Director with the Arizona Coalition for Military Families. They are the largest sponsored project of TAPAZ, and are doing some really great work across Arizona to improve the lives of military members and their families. We hope you enjoy learning more.

Resources:

Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona www.tapaz.org

Arizona Coalition for Military Families www.arizonacoalition.org

BeConnected www.connecveterans.org

BeConnected Career Navigation www.arizonacoalition.org/careernavigation/

Overview of Arizona Roadmap to Veteran Employment https://youtu.be/yF2Uv7EGik0

Military/Veteran Resource Navigation Training www.arizonacoalition.org/navigator/

13th Annual Statewide Symposium, April 19 -20, 2023 (Scholarships available)  www.arizonacoalition.org/symposium/

Connect to help and support at 1-866-4AZ-VETS (429-8387)

It’s a new year, and with it comes new opportunities, new challenges and new state leadership.  The results of the 2022 Arizona general election propelled a new Governor and over 40 new legislators (which is nearly half of the entire legislature) into state office.  This political shakeup can also be felt on the policy front as new state agency directors and advisors are settling into their positions. Today, we welcome two outstanding individuals to give us perspective on these changes in state leadership; what it means for policymaking over the foreseeable future, and what stakeholders can do to harness these changes for a better Arizona. Here’s our conversation with the former Chief Public Policy Officer of Valley of the Sun United Way, Penny Allee Taylor, and former State Representative and former Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Health Plans, Deb Gullett, discussing a new year and new state leadership.

Nonprofits and professionals all across the country are on edge right now. With federal grants pausing and unpausing, the limbo must be a whirlwind for so many people working in the nonprofit sector. We all get into this work because we want to help people. But along the way, stuff gets in the way. The organizations and systems we all work with can be cumbersome and lead to frustration. How can we get out of our way? Heather Hiscox tells us on this episode. 

Heather Hiscox - PAUSE for Change Website 

Discover the Five Skills to Address Uncertainty

Top 20 Questions to Ask Your Collaborative Partner

Throughout the life of this podcast, we’ve hosted a few episodes speaking to the importance of housing.  Those conversations often center on the critical roles that government can and should play in preventing and addressing homelessness and housing instability in Arizona. Today’s episode, however, features someone who’s developed a unique take on housing solutions in Arizona. Howard Epstein, by trade, is a national executive for Bank of America, and by passion, he’s the creator of the Arizona Housing Fund, a voluntary donation-based fund that’s working to bring permanent supportive housing to vulnerable Arizonans.

The Arizona Housing Fund – www.arizonahousingfund.org

Arizona’s general election is right around the corner, and this presents an incredible opportunity for us to ensure that the people we elect and the policies we pass set Arizona on a promising path toward improved health and well-being. Ballot measures may not always be top-of-mind during an election, but their existence and their implications are critically important to our state. Today, we’re speaking with three local leaders who will give us their thoughts on a selection of ballot measures connected to civic health and health equity. Today, we’re encouraging you, our listeners, to vote and to vote in support of community health and well-being.

You may not know this, but nonprofits are allowed to advocate for/against public policy. As a nonprofit that recognizes the community health implications of public policy, Vitalyst Health Foundation is using our voice and taking a stance on 7 of the 10 ballot measures, and we encourage others to do the same.

• Vote NO on Props 128, 132 and 309.  These ideas jeopardize civic health by silencing the voice and eroding the power of Arizona’s voters. 132 specifically would have devastating effects.
• Vote YES on 209, 211, 308 and 310. These hold great promise to protect vulnerable Arizonans from the downward spiral of medical bankruptcy, build transparency and civility in our elections, provide fair tuition rates to all Arizonans, and fund Arizona’s fire districts – all of which help to create healthier communities.

On November 8th, Arizonans will cast their votes to determine who will represent their interests at the legislature and in other statewide offices, including that of the Governor. In our daily lives, we’re only exposed to a handful of these candidates – often through television ads and local media – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of candidates running for office; candidates who need your vote and need to be informed about the issues that matter to you. In this episode, the team at Vitalyst has come together to highlight some of the issues that we believe are of critical importance for candidates to understand and consider as they move closer to obtaining public office.

• Bolder Advocacy – Policy and advocacy resources for nonprofits.
• Alliance for Arizona Nonprofits – Statewide association for nonprofits.
• Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth – Northern AZ coalition focused on children’s well-being.
• Arizona Housing Coalition – Statewide coalition dedicated to housing policy and advocacy.
• Southwest Folklife Alliance – Nonprofit focused on building more vibrant communities through the celebration of culture.
• AZ Food Systems Network – Statewide coalition dedicated to building more affordable, accessible and sustainable food systems.
• Center for the Future of Arizona – Creator of the Arizonan Voters’ Agenda and the Arizona Progress Meters

Today we’re joined by Justin Chase, President and CEO of Solari Crisis and Human Services. As you’ll hear from Justin, Solari, formerly known as Crisis Response Network, provides an array of important resources to individuals experiencing challenging times. These challenges could range from a mother needing to locate to closest food bank, to finding a safe place for your loved one who’s experiencing a bipolar episode. Solari even works with 911 dispatch units to refer mental health calls to appropriate levels of care. Solari is a connector. They improve community health by improving connections between people during some of life’s most difficult periods. Solari’s mission is simple: Inspiring Hope. And after hearing from Justin, it’s easy to see exactly what that means.

Links: Solari Crisis and Human Services Website: www.solari-inc.org Arizona Crisis Line: 1-800-631-1314 Arizona Warm Line: 602-347-1100 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Vitalyst’s Discovery Portal: www.vitalysthealth.org/partnering-with-vitalyst

Today we’re talking with Dr. Amanda Burke from the Center for the Future of Arizona about the Arizona Voters’ Agenda, a new resource which takes a radically different look at voters’ interests and political campaigns in Arizona. What is this radically different approach? Instead of continuing to fuel the fires of division that seem to inundate our lives, CFA’s latest research reveals the issues that a majority of us actually agree on. As it turns out, despite the smoldering embers we constantly encounter, there is plenty of untapped common ground where Arizonans agree – common ground which, if championed by political candidates, could lead to a winning formula for elections and an improved quality of life for Arizonans. Speaking of elections, Arizona’s 2022 Primary and General elections are on the horizon (August 2nd and November 8th, 2022).  Make sure your voice is heard by visiting www.arizona.vote.

• The Arizona Voters’ Agenda can be found at www.arizonafuture.org
• Make your voice heard in the upcoming elections by visiting www.arizona.vote

Today we’re joined by two Arizonans working to create healthier communities that recognize, address and prevent traumatic experiences. We’re not referring to the type of trauma you see in the traffic section of the news each day. Rather, we’re discussing the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs, as they’re commonly known) and toxic stress that can stem from harmful relationships with the people, places and policies that surround each of us. These experiences are often connected with things like abuse and neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse in the home, or the loss of a loved one. Sadly, recent evidence indicates that Arizona has the highest rate in the nation of people experiencing multiple ACEs. Today’s guests are working to change that. Angie Burleson is the Executive Director of the Arizona ACEs Consortium, a statewide collaborative that engages professionals and agencies to increase awareness about the causes, effects, and opportunities to decrease ACEs in our community. They do so, in part, by training school leaders, teachers and staff to create trauma-sensitive environments for Arizona’s children. Shomari Jackson is a member of the ACEs Consortium and is incoming Executive Director of the South Mountain Works Coalition, a non-profit working with youth and leaders in the South Mountain communities of Phoenix to prevent substance abuse.  If you or anyone you know are navigating through a traumatic experience, or if it would be helpful to speak with a peer who’s gone through a similar experience, support is always available by calling Arizona’s Crisis Line at 1-800-631-1314 or by calling the Peer Support Warm Line at 602-347-1100.

For more than 100 episodes, we’ve hosted this podcast to highlight the inspiring work of Arizonans working to create healthier communities. We’ve spoken with experts focused on a wide range of issues, ranging from food systems to housing to transportation, as well as local leaders among Arizona’s Latino, Black, Tribal and Rural communities. Today, we’re doing something a little different. Today, we’re taking a moment to look inward, to pull back the curtain, and to better understand the motivations, milestones and mechanics of Vitalyst Health Foundation. This is a conversation with President and CEO, Suzanne Pfister. If you’ve ever been curious about what makes Vitalyst Vitalyst, or what the future of community health may hold, this is the episode for you. We hope you enjoy.

Referenced Materials:

• Vitalyst’s Strategic Roadmap Refresh
• Elements of a Healthy Community Wheel (English and Spanish)
• Elements of a Healthy Tribal Community Wheel
• Publication – Cost Containment through Collaboration
• Publication – How School Districts Can Create Housing Opportunities

Today we’re taking a long-overdue look at the health and well-being of refugee communities in our state. You may not know this, but Arizona is widely known as a welcoming state for refugees from around the world. These are individuals and families who have fled their home countries due to persecution or fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. In the last six months (October ’21 through March ’22), Arizona has helped over 2,600 people resettle, the majority of whom are fleeing Afghanistan. This brings us to today’s panel discussion with a local leader from Lutheran Social Services – a refugee resettlement agency in Arizona – and two local representatives of We Are All America (one of whom is a former refugee from Afghanistan, and the other a former refugee from Bosnia-Herzegovina). We hope you enjoy.

On today’s episode (the 100th episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast!), we’re capping off Women’s History Month by bringing you a conversation with Dr. Amalia Luxardo, CEO of the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona. Dr. Luxardo graciously shares her personal journey to her leadership role at the Women’s Foundation and gives us a glimpse into how Arizona’s women and girls are forging new paths to social, political and economic change.

Well, this it. Barring any unforeseen developments (knock on wood), this is the last COVID-19 Roundtable episode of the Vitalyst Spark Podcast. We’re not out of the woods, but case numbers and deaths are rapidly declining, hospital admissions have waned, and the latest CDC guidance shows Arizona moving toward a low level of community risk.  So, for what we hope will be our final COVID-19 Roundtable discussion, we brought our panelists back to reflect on the past two years – the successes, the challenges and the lessons learned

On today's mini-episode, Vitalyst's Gabriel Jaramillo sits down with Nicole Newhouse of the Arizona Housing Coalition and Pastor Jeff Procter-Murphy of Dayspring UMC in Tempe to discuss the YIGBY initiative.  This innovative proposal would allow faith-based organizations to develop affordable housing on their properties without burdensome rezoning requirements. This initiative addresses one of Arizona's major obstacles: restrictive zoning that limits land availability for multi-family housing development. 

Yes, in God's Backyard Initiative - Arizona Housing Coalition 

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

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.

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.

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.