Healthy Desert Healthy You

Tai Chi has been practiced for centuries, but its health benefits are finding a new audience today. Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean welcomes Sifu Jas Minkel of Tai Chi Circle of the Desert to explore the history of Tai Chi, its roots as a martial art, and why it has become a powerful tool for healthy aging. Jas shares his personal journey into Tai Chi, explains how consistent practice im...

Host Will Dean welcomes Sophie Blondeau , Chief Strategy Officer at Sowen, and Kraig Johnson , Executive Director of Jewish Family Service of the Desert, for an in-depth discussion of the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation's newly adopted five-year strategic plan . Together, they explore how the plan strengthens healthcare workforce development, expands access to care, addresses social de...

On this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean welcomes Anyse Smith, attorney, nonprofit legal advocate, and the newest member of the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board of Directors . Smith shares her remarkable journey from working with unhoused individuals at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission to becoming an attorney dedicated to expanding access to justice for vu...

Host Will Dean welcomes Stassia Underwood, a trans navigator with Transgender Health and Wellness Center , for a conversation about affirming care, community connection, and support for transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals. Stassia explains the role of a trans navigator, discusses barriers many people face when seeking healthcare and mental health services, and shares how isolation an...

On this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean talks with Evett PerezGil about her journey from growing up in Cathedral City’s Dream Homes neighborhood to becoming the first Latina elected to the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board of Directors . PerezGil shares how community-driven health surveys helped lead to the creation of Esperanza Park and strengthened neighbor...

Host Will Dean welcomes Dr. Dan Logsdon for a conversation about healthcare leadership, innovation, and the future of medical care in the Coachella Valley on this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You . Dr. Logsdon shares his journey from engineering to cardiothoracic surgery, his path to joining the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board of Directors, and the vision behind the district...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean sits down with Leticia De Lara, a lifelong Coachella Valley resident whose journey from migrant farm work to public service leadership shapes her commitment to community wellness . As a board director for the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation and CEO of the RAP Foundation , Leticia shares how her upbringing informs her advoca...

In this inspiring episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean speaks with Karrie Schaaf, Executive Director of Friends of the Children Coachella Valley , about a groundbreaking mentorship model changing young lives . Unlike traditional programs, this initiative pairs children ages four to six with paid professional mentors for a 12-year commitment—supporting them from early childhood th...

Executive Director Luz Gallegos joins Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean to discuss how TODEC Legal Center supports immigrant families across the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire during a time of intensified immigration enforcement . She explains TODEC’s roots in organizing farm workers, the growing fear affecting mixed-status families, and the economic, emotional, and mental health toll...

On this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean is joined by Dr. Roseanne Rosenthal and Marsha Uutela of the California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert. They discuss the college’s mission to expand Native American access to higher education while preserving culture, language, and community values . The conversation explores barriers students face, including financial challenge...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , Will Dean welcomes Greg Rodriguez , Vice President of the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board , for a powerful conversation on the future of healthcare in the Coachella Valley . Greg shares his journey from longtime community advocate to board leadership, offering insight into the district’s evolving role as a regional healthcare cataly...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean welcomes certified instructor Alex Aguilar to explore the transformative power of Iyengar yoga . Aguilar explains how this approach uses props to make yoga accessible for all ages, abilities, and health conditions—from beginners to those recovering from illness . The conversation highlights how free community-based classes in Palm Dese...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean speaks with Jason Tate, Wellness Specialist at Coachella Valley High School , about the growing importance of wellness in today’s schools . Tate explains how student wellness centers address the whole person—mind, body, and heart—through support for social, emotional, and behavioral health. He discusses the challenges students face tod...

Workforce development is critical to the Coachella Valley’s future, especially in healthcare. Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean speaks with Kim McNulty, Vice President of Regional Strategy for OneFuture Coachella Valley , about how the nonprofit connects students to high-demand careers . McNulty outlines the organization’s regional collaboration model, scholarship programs, and holistic st...

Host Will Dean talks with Tim Vincent, founding President of Brothers of the Desert , about how the organization began as a small circle of Black gay men seeking camaraderie and grew into a thriving nonprofit serving the Coachella Valley. Tim shares on this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You the mission to connect and empower Black gay men and allies through education, advocacy, and social netw...

In this informative episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , Will Dean welcomes Dr. Gemma Kim, MD , family practice specialist and principal investigator with DPMG Health , to discuss a major expansion in pediatric care for Coachella Valley families . Dr. Kim shares how the newly launched pediatric clinic aims to close critical access gaps by offering comprehensive preventive services, behavioral h...

In this special solo episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean shares timely updates from the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation and highlights the many ways residents can engage in shaping local health priorities. Will discusses the development of a new five-year strategic plan, including ongoing community listening sessions designed to gather resident feedback across all seve...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean sits down with Jax Kelly, Founder and President of the Aging and HIV Institute and President of Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs, for an insightful conversation on aging with HIV. Jax shares his personal journey following his HIV diagnosis, how medical advances have transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition, and why people living...

In this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast , host Will Dean is joined by Dr. Angelica Geter, healthcare and community consultant with Sowen , to discuss the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation’s upcoming strategic plan . As the District prepares for a pivotal transition in 2026, Dr. Geter explains how the multi-month planning process is intentionally designed to center commu...

Host Will Dean speaks with Baltazar Aguirre, Jr., a local organizer with the United Farm Workers Foundation on this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , about the essential yet often unseen farmworker community in the Coachella Valley . Aguirre explains the Foundation’s mission to advance human dignity, labor rights, and immigrant protections while sharing the region’s billion-dollar agricultur...

In this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean welcomes Melanie Lewis, Executive Director with the Pink Journey Foundation and a breast cancer survivor . Melanie shares the inspiring origin of the foundation, founded in 2004 to provide education, mentoring, and mobile mammography —especially for underserved communities. She explains why early detection matters, clears up...

In this inspiring episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean speaks with Deja Brown, a Desert Healthcare District and Foundation scholarship recipient through One Future Coachella Valley . Deja shares her journey from Illinois to the Coachella Valley , her path through College of the Desert , and her current studies at Sacramento State University . She discusses her goal of...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Kimberly Barraza, newly elected Board President of the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation. Barraza reflects on her journey into public service, her deep roots in the Coachella Valley, and what it means to lead without extra power but with purpose. She shares her vision for a stronger, more collaborative board that ampl...

In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean talks with Debbie Espinosa, CEO of FIND Food Bank , to explore the realities of food insecurity in the Coachella Valley . Debbie shares how FIND works with more than 100 local partners and Feeding America to supply food across a 10,000-square-mile region , distributing over 20 million pounds each year—including millions in fresh produc...

In this important episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You , host Will Dean welcomes two experts tackling a growing public health and animal welfare concern: the surge of brown dog ticks in the Eastern Coachella Valley . Jennifer Henke of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District and Michael Phipps-Russell of Loving All Animals share what rising tick populations mean for local pets, f...