On Demand — Health on the Plains Coffee Hour, Featuring Floribella Redondo-Martinez

2 Min Read

Aug 21, 2026

By

Wyatt J. Beckman, M.P.H.
Promotional image for “Health on the Plains,” featuring a wide, tilled farm field under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Bold black text reads “HEALTH” with “ON THE PLAINS” beneath it. On the lower left, a coffee cup graphic with steam and a leaf inside it sits above the words “COFFEE HOUR” and the URL “khi.org.” The bottom right shows the Kansas Health Institute logo with the text: “KANSAS HEALTH INSTITUTE – Informing Policy. Improving Health – khi.org.

On Aug. 19, Health on the Plains Coffee Hour featured Floribella Redondo-Martinez, B.S., co-founder and CEO of the Arizona Community Health Workers Association. A promotora/community health worker (CHW) since the early 1990s, Redondo-Martinez is an established leader in the CHW community in Arizona and across the country. Drawing on her many years of experience, the conversation explored the growth of CHWs, how CHWs can meet the unique needs of rural communities, and the policy challenges and opportunities shaping the future of CHWs.

An event recording will be posted soon.

Featured Speaker

Floribella Redondo-Martinez, B.S., Chief Executive Officer, Arizona Community Health Workers Association (AzCHOW)

Floribella Redondo-Martinez is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Community Health Workers Association (AzCHOW) and a nationally recognized leader in advancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) profession. She began her career as a Promotora de Salud in 1990, educating farmworkers in Arizona and California on topics ranging from HIV prevention to chronic disease prevention and management. With more than 30 years of CHW experience and 25 years developing bilingual, bicultural CHW programs, Floribella champions sustainable, equitable, and community-led health systems in rural and underserved communities. She played a leading role in the statewide movement to secure Arizona’s CHW Voluntary Certification legislation, helping establish a pathway for workforce recognition, professional advancement, and sustainability. Her leadership includes service on Arizona’s CHW Voluntary Certification Advisory Board; Chair of the Arizona CHW Coalition; Core Member of the National CHW Core Consensus Standards; founding board member of the National Association of CHWs; and Past Chair of the APHA CHW Section. She also helped develop Arizona Western College’s CHW Certificate Program and remains committed to strengthening CHW leadership, workforce sustainability, and opportunities for women leaders.

About Kansas Health Institute

The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.

Learn More About KHI