Healthy Desert Healthy You

Healthy Desert Healthy You
Podcast Description
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.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various aspects of community health, including physical, mental, and environmental wellness. Episodes feature discussions on healthcare accessibility, local health initiatives, and public health strategies, with specific examples like the evolution of healthcare services in the region and mobile medical clinics that reach underserved populations.

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.
In this episode of Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Melinda Cordero-Bárzaga, Associate Director and co-founder of Visión y Compromiso. Melinda shares the inspiring 25-year journey of the promotor model—community members who serve as trusted health educators, advocates, and cultural bridges. She explores how promotores bring health equity to underserved communities, especially in the Coachella Valley, and discusses their pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation also dives into the challenges of state certification, the expansion of the model nationwide, and how promotores are transforming systems of care. Melinda emphasizes the power of “service from the heart” in creating meaningful community wellness and social change.
8 Takeaways:
- Promotores are trusted community health workers bridging equity gaps.
- The model has historical global roots and deep cultural relevance.
- Visión y Compromiso was founded to empower and support promotores.
- Promotores were essential during the COVID-19 response.
- Certification efforts raised equity concerns and were paused.
- The promotore model is expanding statewide and nationally.
- The role promotes empowerment, dignity, and social justice.
- Formal healthcare systems benefit from integrating promotores.
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