My City Talks

What separates real community work from something that only looks good online? Ben Spellman, founder of Good Vibes Movement, joins Corey Dion Lewis for a conversation about service, consistency, trust, forgiveness, and the relationships that hold communities together. Ben explains why community work does not need to be complicated, how small movements can create lasting change, and why the work mu...

What if economic mobility starts in kindergarten? Corey sits down with Emily Westergaard, Executive Director of By Degrees Foundation, to explore how early exposure to education, careers, financial literacy, and trusted mentors can shape a child’s future. Emily shares how By Degrees works alongside Des Moines students and their families from kindergarten through graduation, helping young people se...

What happens when the problems affecting your patients cannot be solved with a prescription? Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Dr. Megan Srinivas, physician, Chief Medical Officer at Primary Health Care, and Iowa legislator, to talk about the connection between medicine, policy, housing, and community health. Dr. Srinivas shares how her experiences caring for patients pushed her toward policymaking....

Special thanks to UnityPoint Health, the presenting sponsor of the 2026 My City My Health Conference, for supporting this work and helping us move the city forward.  Urban planner, housing researcher, and filmmaker Amal Barre joins Corey Dion Lewis for a conversation about why housing should be treated as a core part of health. Amal brings more than a decade of experience in affordable housing, ho...

Getting someone into an apartment is not the end of the work. It is often where the real work begins. Corey talks with Austin Neal about youth homelessness, housing instability, and what it takes to help young people build a life beyond survival mode. Austin shares lessons from nearly a decade of serving people experiencing homelessness through Joppa, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa, and Io...

When the world feels heavy, how do you acknowledge what you are feeling without losing your ability to move forward? Keynote speaker and life coach Vanessa McNeal joins Corey Dion Lewis to discuss burnout, hopelessness, anger, personal responsibility, and the pressure many helpers and community leaders feel to do more. Vanessa explains why the questions you ask yourself shape how you see your work...

Civic engagement shapes health. In this episode, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Heather Jones-Brown and Victoria Weber to connect everyday actions like voting, emailing a school board member, riding the bus, and showing up at a neighborhood cleanup to measurable health outcomes. The conversation stays local. They dig into transportation, school boards, city councils, water quality, and how l...

On this episode of My City Talks , host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Sarah Donovan of Broadlawns Medical Center to explore the complex layers of food insecurity in Des Moines. From the role of culture and community in food access to how employment, transportation, and awareness shape outcomes, Sarah shares both professional insights and personal reflections. This conversation highlights the con...

In this episode of My City Talks , powered by My City My Health , host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Jasmine Brooks , project manager for the USDA-backed Double Up Food Bucks program in Iowa. Together, they explore the realities of food insecurity, the cultural significance of food, and the importance of choice in nutrition. From the lost art of cooking to the challenges of accessing fresh produ...

 👉 Want to continue the conversation in person? Join us at the My City My Health Conference in Des Moines on November 14 . Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/my-city-my-health-des-moines--2025 In this episode of My City Talks , Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Dr. Gregory Johnson, Chief Medical Officer at UnityPoint Health, to discuss the urgent challenges and opportunities aroun...

Abena Sankofa Imhotep—author, podcaster, and moderator of the Civic Engagement Panel at this year’s My City My Health Conference—joins Corey Dion Lewis to talk about what civic power really looks like in 2025. From voting and fundraising to storytelling and showing up in community spaces, this conversation unpacks the layers of visibility, accountability, and connection that drive public health ou...

Alzheimer’s isn't just something that happens “later” — it's impacting thousands of Iowans right now , and Black and rural communities are being hit the hardest. In this episode of My City Talks , I sit down with Keesha Ward and Jessica Duncan of the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter to break down the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, why early detection is so powerful, and what’s st...

In this episode of My City Talks , Corey sits down with Krisha Keeran, former intern, medical school hopeful, and co-founder of Club Kids for a Cause. After surviving a devastating accident, Krisha turned her recovery into a purpose, raising over $65,000 through tennis tournaments to support healthcare causes. This summer, her story comes full circle as she hosts a tournament in her honor to fund...

In this episode of My City My Health, host Laurna Evans Lindsay sits down with Jahnavi Pandya, a counseling psychologist with a passion for cultural sensitivity and inclusive mental health care. Jahnavi shares her journey from India to the U.S., her experiences working with diverse populations, and the importance of tailoring therapy to individual cultural backgrounds. From addressing trauma and g...

In this episode of MyCityMyHealth , host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Khyathi Gadag, a PhD candidate in Health Policy and Management at the University of Iowa. Khyathi shares her journey from dentistry to mental health research, highlighting the crucial intersection of mental and physical health. They discuss holistic mental health approaches, the role of social determinants like housing and in...

In this episode of My City, My Health, host Laurna Evans Lindsay sits down with Naomi Marroquin, a dedicated healthcare team leader serving migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Iowa. Naomi shares her journey from growing up in an immigrant-rich community to advocating for better healthcare access. She discusses the challenges migrant workers face, the impact of mobile clinics, and the importance of...

In this inaugural episode of My City Talks Health, host Larry Twitty Jr. sits down with HIV advocates Destiny Smith and Alicia Mercado for an enlightening discussion about HIV awareness, treatment advances, and breaking down persistent stigmas. From explaining U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) to navigating healthcare systems in Iowa, our guests share personal insights and vital information abo...

 In this episode, host Elizabeth Dix interviews Dr. Lucas Carr about his work with the Community Health Collaborative and the Vitalis study, as well as the importance of addressing physical inactivity in primary care settings. They also discuss the role of equity in their mission and ways for students and community members to get involved.  Show notes: 0:00 Introduction 1:12 Dr. Lucas Carr's backg...

"When these communities allow you in their spaces, please be humble and allow the trust to build so that you can get the work done. If you don't have the trust, then there's no basis to build up on, no foundation at all." - Aloha Wilks In this episode, host Olivia Machaccio talks with Aloha Wilks, a passionate advocate for health equity and community engagement. They discuss the challenges of achi...

"I think probably to really think deeply about the amount of othering that we all do every day in our lives and how to start reversing that, how to understand where it comes from, and how we start to keep ourselves to account in that process because we really need to change the way that we interact with people if we are going to ever get to health equity." - Dr. Rima Afifi In this episode of My Ci...

"I would like to see more effort being put into job creation for retaining local talent. Iowa is great at attracting the best from all over the world, but I cannot see the same for retaining them." - Onyeche Oche Join host Caleb as he talks with Onyeche Oche, a healthcare researcher and advocate, about her work in telemedicine, cultural competency in healthcare, and her vision for job retention in...

In this episode of the My City My Health Podcast, host Brooklyn talks with Dr. Marta Van Beek, a dermatologist and executive medical director at the University of Iowa. They discuss the importance of health equity and the work being done to improve it in dermatology and medicine overall. Dr. Van Beek also shares her experience in addressing health disparities and the impact of community involvemen...

In this episode of the My City My Health podcast, host Natalie Rutledge talks with LaTasha DeLoach about her work in community outreach and connecting people, particularly women of color and older adults, with resources and social spaces for health equity. LaTasha shares her insights on the importance of taking the pressure off of black women, erasing the super-strong black woman trope, and creati...

Join host Lauren Whiteman as she discusses achieving health equity through community empowerment with Dr. Ebonee Johnson, an expert in health equity research and the project director of PEER, a community-based organization focused on HIV and substance abuse prevention. In this episode, Dr. Johnson shares her insights on the importance of community engagement in healthcare, the challenges of health...

In this episode of the My City, My Health podcast, host Sophie Woodley, discusses health equity and community well-being with Cady Gerlach, executive director of Better Together 2030. They delve into the social determinants of health, such as housing, access to healthy food, and education, and how these factors impact access to healthcare. They also discuss the importance of including diverse voic...