Shows / Healthy Desert Healthy You
Healthy Desert Healthy You
The Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, based in Palm Springs, CA, produces Healthy Desert Healthy You as part of a regional health and wellness educational outreach campaign for residents in the Coachella Valley desert communities of Southern California. The program features interviews with a variety of people who are stakeholders in the physical, mental and environmental wellness of the areas residents. More information is available at www.dhcd.org and www.healthydeserthealthyyou.com…
Episodes
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Yan Somoza, PhD | Supporting Neurodivergent Children in the Coachella Valley
On Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean talks with Dr. Yan Somoza, PhD, founder and clinical director of SOMOS Psychological Services and the SEAMOS…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouLeticia Olvera, El Sol Education Center | Building Healthier Communities Through Trust and Advocacy
On this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, trust is at the heart of community health. Will Dean welcomes Leticia Olvera, Program Coordinator with El Sol…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Victor Cisneros, M.D. | Building the Coachella Valley’s Future Care Team
How can the Coachella Valley build a stronger healthcare workforce and bring care closer to home? Host Will Dean features Summit participant Dr. Victor…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouTina Burns, California Scottish Rite Foundation | Helping Children Find Their Voices and Thrive
Helping children communicate can transform their confidence, relationships, and classroom success. On Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Tina…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouOlivia Rodriguez, Youth Leadership Institute | Youth Voices Shape Healthier Coachella Valley
Recorded at the 2026 Healthy Desert Healthy You Summit in Rancho Mirage, host Will Dean talks with Olivia Rodriguez of the Youth Leadership Institute about…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouPaula Simonds, Alzheimer’s Coachella Valley | Finding Joy and Connection Through Dementia Support
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can change daily life, but joy and connection remain possible. Recorded at the 2026 Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit in Rancho…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Takashi Wada, IEHP | Bringing Healthcare Closer to Coachella Valley Communities
Dr. Takashi Wada, Vice President of Population Health at Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), joins host Will Dean from the 2026 Healthy Desert Healthy You Summit…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouSarah Fry, Acting Dean | COD Nursing Program | Growing the Coachella Valley’s Nursing Workforce
College of the Desert is expanding its nursing pipeline to meet the Coachella Valley’s growing healthcare workforce needs. Host Will Dean talks with Sarah Fry…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouSeham Saba, Riverside Latino Commission | Early Intervention Builds Stronger Youth Mental Health
Seham Saba, Head of Mental Health Services at the Riverside Latino Commission, joins host Will Dean to discuss the changing mental health needs of families and…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouIan Gabriel, Exec Director, Lift To Rise | Housing, Health and Hope Through Collective Action
Ian Gabriel, Executive Director of Lift To Rise, joins Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean to discuss the Coachella Valley’s affordable housing crisis…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Jill Hingston | Affirming Care, Connection and LGBTQ+ Mental Health
Dr. Jill Hingston, Chief Behavioral Health Officer at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, joins host Will Dean to discuss affirming, trauma-informed…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouMihai Patru, Blue Zones Project PS | Building Healthier Communities Through Blue Zones Strategies
Blue Zones Project Palm Springs Executive Director Mihai Patru joins Will Dean on this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You to explain how the internationally…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouJas Minkel, Guest | Tai Chi Builds Balance, Stability, and Lifelong Wellness
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouInside the Desert Healthcare District’s New Strategic Vision with Sophie Blondeau & Kraig Johnson
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouAnyse Smith, Attorney | A Champion of Health Equity and Access In The Coachella Valley
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouStassia Underwood, Trans Navigator | Building Connection Through Transgender Community Support
Host Will Dean welcomes Stassia Underwood, a trans navigator with Transgender Health and Wellness Center, for a conversation about affirming care, community…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouEvett PerezGil, DHCD Board Member | Community Roots Driving Health and Hope
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Dan Logsdon | Building Healthcare Access and Innovation in the Valley
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouLeticia De Lara, Director, DHCD | From Farm Fields to Community Health Leadership
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouKarrie Schaaf | 12-Year Mentorship Transforming Coachella Valley Youth
In this inspiring episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean speaks with Karrie Schaaf, Executive Director of Friends of the Children Coachella…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouTODEC’s Luz Gallegos on Protecting Families Through Advocacy, Care, and Hope
Executive Director Luz Gallegos joins Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean to discuss how TODEC Legal Center supports immigrant families across the…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Roseanne Rosenthal & Marsha Uutela | Empowering Native Education Through Culture and Community
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDHCD Board VP Greg Rodriguez on Healthcare, Housing, Community Impact
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, Will Dean welcomes Greg Rodriguez, Vice President of the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board, for a…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouAlex Aguilar, Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley | Accessible Yoga for Every Body and Mind
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes certified instructor Alex Aguilar to explore the transformative power of Iyengar yoga…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouJason Tate, Wellness Specialist, CV High School | Wellness Centers Supporting Students and Teachers
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouKim McNulty, OneFuture Coachella Valley | Building the Coachella Valley Workforce Pipeline
Workforce development is critical to the Coachella Valley’s future, especially in healthcare. Healthy Desert Healthy You host Will Dean speaks with Kim…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouTim Vincent, Brothers of the Desert | Building Resilience Through Community and Wellness
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Gemma Kim, MD | Expanding Pediatric Care Across Coachella Valley
In this informative episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, Will Dean welcomes Dr. Gemma Kim, MD, family practice specialist and principal investigator with…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDHCD News | Community Updates and Wellness Priorities Across Coachella Valley
In this special solo episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean shares timely updates from the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation and…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouJax Kelly | Aging With HIV: Advocacy, Health, and Community
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDr. Angelica Geter | Shaping Community Health Through Inclusive Strategic Planning
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouBaltazar Aguirre, Jr., UFW Fndtn. | Farmworkers, Dignity & Community Resilience in Coachella Valley
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouMelanie Lewis, Pink Journey Foundation | Mammography, Education, and Hope
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDeja Brown, Scholarship Recip | Building Healthcare Workforce Thru Education, Community and Purpose
In this inspiring episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean speaks with Deja Brown, a Desert Healthcare District and Foundation…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouKimberly Barraza, Board President, DHCD | Leading With Vision: Kimberly Barraza on Community Health
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Kimberly Barraza, newly elected Board President of the Desert Healthcare District &…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouDebbie Espinosa | Fighting Hunger Today, Tomorrow, and for a Lifetime
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouJennifer Henke & Michael Phipps-Russell | Protecting Pets & People: The Coachella Valley Tick Crisis
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…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouFernando Gutierrez | Mosquito Risks, Prevention, and Community Protection in Coachella Valley
In this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean sits down with Fernando Gutierrez, Community Engagement Specialist with the Coachella…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouSamantha Shapiro | Building Community & Water Resilience with an Environmental Scientist
In this insightful episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean talks with environmental scientist Samantha Shapiro of Palm Desert about her…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouMartha Olvera, Galilee Center | Supporting Coachella Valley Families Through Compassion and Action
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean speaks with Martha Olvera, Assistant Director of Operations at the Galilee Center, a faith-based…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouRyan Kelly | Imperial County’s Lithium Valley: Powering Progress and Community Renewal
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Imperial County Supervisor Ryan Kelly for an in-depth conversation about Lithium…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouRob Wheeler, Mizell Center | Building Connection and Care: Inside Mizell Senior Center’s Impact
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean talks with Rob Wheeler, Executive Director of the Mizell Senior Center in Palm Springs. Rob…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouBea Padilla, Desert Recreation District | Empowering Teens for Cleaner Air in the Coachella Valley
In this inspiring episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean talks with Bea Padilla, Community Services Supervisor for the Desert Recreation…
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Cecilia Lemus, YLI | Youth Leadership Inspires Air Quality Change in Coachella Valley
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean speaks with Cecilia Lemus, Program Coordinator at the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), about…
- Healthy Desert Healthy You
Christian Rodriguez Ceja | Environmental Justice, Heat Equity, and Community Action in Coachella Valley
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean sits down with Christian Rodriguez Ceja of Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) to discuss the…
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Mona Babauta | Hydrogen Transit and Clean Energy Innovation in Coachella Valley
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean sits down with Mona Babauta, CEO of Sunline Transit Agency, to explore how the Coachella Valley…
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Miguel Vazquez | Planning Healthier Futures: Land Use, Equity & Environment
In this compelling episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Miguel Vazquez, Health Equity Urban and Regional Planner for Riverside…
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Andrea Vidaurre on Fighting Pollution & Building Community Power
On this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean speaks with Andrea Vidaurre—policy analyst, advocate, and co-founder of the People’s…
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Fighting for Oswit Canyon: Jane Garrison’s Journey to 10,000 Acres Saved
In this inspiring episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean speaks with Jane Garrison, humanitarian, animal advocate, and founder of the Oswit Land…
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Supporting Coachella Valley Children: Nicholas Rossi on Variety’s Mission
In this episode, Will Dean sits down with Nicholas Rossi, Senior Development Manager at Variety Children's Charity of the Desert, to discuss the nonprofit's…
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Lauren Del Sarto, Publisher, Desert Health News | 15 Years of Community Wellness In Print
In this inspiring episode, host Will Dean welcomes Lauren Del Sarto, founder and publisher of Desert Health News. Lauren shares how a desire to highlight both…
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Jase Nagaia | Inclusive Low-Impact Fitness Builds Community & Confidence
In this uplifting episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, Will Dean speaks with Jase Nagaia, the founder and instructor of Endeavor with Jase, a free…
Healthy Desert Healthy YouMelinda Cordero-Bárzaga | Visión y Compromiso | Building Health Equity Through Trusted Community Connections
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Melinda Cordero-Bárzaga, Associate Director and co-founder of Visión y Compromiso…
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Guest: David Robinson, CVEP | Healthcare Expansion Boosts Economy and Community in Coachella Valley
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You join host Will Dean as he explores the economic impact of expanding healthcare services in the Coachella Valley…
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Shamora Wright, Black Wellness Club Founder | Empowering Wellness Through Community & Self-Care
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean sits down with Shamora Wright, founder of the Black Wellness Club. Shamora shares her personal…
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Haley Preston, Desert Compost | From Kitchen Scraps to Nutrient-Rich Soil: The Benefits of Composting
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Haley Preston, the Founder and Director of Desert Compost, to explore the vital role of…
- Healthy Desert Healthy You
Ryan Sendejas | Facing Climate Change: Building Community Resilience Together
In this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean welcomes Ryan Sendejas, a climate change assessment lead author with UC Riverside…
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William VanHemert | Addressing Air Quality and Health Disparities Together with DAP Health
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes William VanHemert, Director of Institutional Giving and Grants Administration at DAP…
- Healthy Desert Healthy You
Dr. Daniel Polk, HARC | Exploring Environmental Justice in the Coachella Valley
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean talks with Dr. Daniel Polk, Research & Evaluation Associate at HARC Incorporated. They dive into…
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Aydee Palomino | Advancing Environmental Justice and Community Wellness in Eastern Coachella Valley
In this episode of the Healthy Desert Healthy You podcast, host Will Dean sits down with Aydee Palomino, the Environmental Justice Campaign Manager at Alianza…