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.
The podcast is hosted by Will Dean, Director of Communications, at the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation.
Tina 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 Burns, Speech Language Pathologist and Clinical Director of the California Scottish Rite Foundation, to explore speech, language, and literacy services provided at no cost to families. Burns discusses developmental milestones, the importance of early intervention, and how pandemic disruptions affected access to support. She explains how play based therapy, caregiver coaching, and school collaboration help children build communication skills. Hear Matthew’s journey from struggling to speak to connecting with classmates and grandparents. Learn about the Coachella Valley center serving children ages three to thirteen, the need for more speech language pathologists, and how philanthropic support sustains these essential services at nineteen centers throughout California.
Takeaways:
Early intervention supports communication, confidence, and relationships.
Speech challenges deserve attention beyond waiting and seeing.
Developmental milestones help families recognize potential concerns.
Play makes therapy engaging and meaningful.
Caregiver coaching extends learning into everyday activities.
School collaboration strengthens support across learning environments.
Philanthropy funds services at no cost to families.
Training future speech language pathologists addresses workforce shortages.
#HealthyDesertHealthyYouPodcast #WillDean #DesertHealthcareDistrictAndFoundation #CommunityWellness #TinaBurns #CaliforniaScottishRiteFoundation #RiteCare #CoachellaValley #ChildhoodCommunication #SpeechTherapy #LanguageDevelopment #EarlyIntervention #ChildhoodLiteracy #DevelopmentalMilestones #CaregiverCoaching #PlayBasedTherapy #SchoolCollaboration #SpeechLanguagePathologists #Philanthropy #FamilySupport
30 Sept 2026
Olivia 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 helping Eastern Coachella Valley youth shape healthier communities. Olivia explains how poor air quality, limited infrastructure, and barriers to care affect mental health, especially in rural communities. She highlights youth research, welcoming community spaces, and trained peers and adult allies who can connect young people with trusted support. The conversation also explores social media, artificial intelligence, misinformation, and YLI’s HOPE campaign for healthier online platforms. Olivia shares why families, schools, and policymakers should include youth in developing solutions, and how residents can support local programs that strengthen connection, elevate youth voices, and advance environmental justice and community wellness for everyone.
Takeaways:
Youth voices guide local priorities and solutions.
Poor air quality affects youth mental health.
Rural communities face barriers to mental healthcare.
Trained peers connect youth with trusted resources.
Welcoming community spaces strengthen connection and wellbeing.
Social media and AI raise misinformation concerns.
HOPE advocates for healthier online platforms.
Include youth in decisions affecting their lives.
#HealthyDesertHealthyYouPodcast #WillDean #DesertHealthcareDistrictAndFoundation #CommunityWellness #OliviaRodriguez #YouthLeadershipInstitute #HealthyDesertHealthyYou2026Summit #EasternCoachellaValley #YouthMentalHealth #EnvironmentalJustice #PeerSupport #YouthLeadership #YouthVoices #MentalHealthAccess #CommunitySpaces #SocialConnection #HealthyOnlinePlatformsForEveryone #SocialMediaSafety #ArtificialIntelligence
24 Sept 2026
Paula 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 Mirage, host Will Dean speaks with Paula Simonds, Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Coachella Valley, about helping families navigate dementia together. Paula shares how the organization’s free services, including early assessment screenings, counseling, and care partner support, meet local needs. Discover how art and music encourage expression, spark conversation, and create meaningful moments for people with dementia and their loved ones. Learn about Tunes for the Memories, Club Journey, and opportunities to support these programs through donations and lunch sponsorships. Paula also previews an October open house that welcomes residents to explore resources and start important conversations about memory concerns and support.
Takeaways:
Free services help families navigate dementia together.
Early screenings address concerns about memory changes.
Care partners benefit from support and counseling.
Art encourages expression, connection, and meaningful conversation.
Music creates opportunities for joy and connection.
Club Journey brings families together through activities.
Donations and lunch sponsorships sustain free programs.
Open house welcomes conversations about memory concerns.
#HealthyDesertHealthyYouPodcast #WillDean #DesertHealthcareDistrictAndFoundation #CommunityWellness #PaulaSimonds #AlzheimersCoachellaValley #HealthyDesertHealthyYou2026Summit #DementiaSupport #CarePartnerSupport #MemoryCare #ArtAndMusic #TunesForTheMemories #ClubJourney #EarlyMemoryScreening #FamilySupport #FreeCommunityPrograms #CoachellaValley #RanchoMirage #LunchSponsorships #AlzheimersAwareness
Who has been a guest on Healthy Desert Healthy You
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Deja Brown
Kimberly Barraza
Debbie Espinosa
Jennifer Henke
Michael Phipps-Russell
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
94
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Healthy Desert Healthy You
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Healthy Desert Healthy You
Who hosts Healthy Desert Healthy You?
Will Dean host the show. Published by Desert Healthcare District & Foundation.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does Healthy Desert Healthy You take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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