Vitalyst Spark

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 abo...

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 health...

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.   Gue...

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 Health...

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...

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...

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 mor...

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 a...

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 Pea...

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...

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, M...

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...

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 du...

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 root...

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...

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...

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 positi...

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 t...

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 sp...

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 v...

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 experienci...

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 th...

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...

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, w...