Collaborative Networks

Vitalyst has always worked best by bringing groups together. We leverage our influence by connecting community leaders and organizations to improve the health of communities across Arizona. By helping foster cross-sector relationships and collaboration, we ensure the most underserved communities are part of more equitable, comprehensive approaches to opportunities and challenges. By bringing together people, organizations and institutions, the needs of the community are always front and center when programs are implemented. 

This past year, our work did not shift, even though much of it was still virtual. However, the way we thought about it did change. We continued almost all the objectives Vitalyst had been pursuing, but we added more focus and worked to streamline how partners engaged with us.  

Access to Care  

Access to care has always been one of the main tenants of Vitalyst’s work. Preventative care decreases the need for treatment of acute conditions, and overall health is diminished when people do not regularly access medical care.  

As it has for more than a decade, Vitalyst supported the Cover Arizona Coalition, contributing to 199,706 Arizonans enrolling in the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace – the most successful Marketplace open enrollment period since 2016. The Cover Arizona phone line was migrated to the 2-1-1 call center, which more than doubled the number of calls handled. Digital marketing campaigns to promote open enrollment – a coordinated effort by Vitalyst and other partners like Children’s Action Alliance – reached up to 110,000 people each week. 

Arizona Food Action Plan 

Vitalyst helped to bring together local, state and regional food systems advocates to create the Arizona Food Systems Network. Pinnacle Prevention served as the convener and led the development of the Statewide Food Action Plan. The plan will be a guide for informing advocacy, capacity building, and investment opportunities across Arizona’s food system over the next three years. It will focus on four priorities: 1) Food Access and Distribution; 2) Land and Water Access and Protection; 3) Climate Smart Foodways; and 4) Agriculture Workforce Development.  

Arizona Town Hall  

Vitalyst’s support of Arizona Town Hall’s “Creating Vibrant Communities” Town Hall series led to 19 Community Town Halls. These community conversations allowed Arizonans from across the state to have their voices heard and listen to differing viewpoints to gain new perspectives. Bringing together members of communities to create solutions for Arizona’s most-pressing issues requires all of us to work together and Arizona Town Hall’s process continues to be a civic discourse and engagement mechanism Vitalyst highly values.  

Healthy Tribal Communities Wheel  

After more than two years of convenings to ensure input was collected and incorporated into its creation, the Tribal Wheel was launched in 2021. The Tribal Wheel is based on input from 17 different tribes in Arizona. Longstanding values are identified that align with factors that contribute to one’s personal health and more broadly to the overall health of a Tribal community. Since 11 of 15 Arizona counties have tribal lands, it is hoped that the wheel can be a tool to better incorporate tribal considerations into the development of future policies. 

Supportive Housing Institute  

The Arizona Supportive Housing Institute launched in January 2022 with support from community and philanthropic partners, including Vitalyst. The Institute, a Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) signature initiative, is an interactive training program designed to ensure high-quality supportive housing production. Supportive housing is a person-centered approach focused on recovery and personal success that can contribute to the health and wellbeing of the entire community. The proposed projects developed from the five coalitions within the Institute could lead to 294 supportive housing units and 229 affordable housing units across Arizona.