In this episode of the Springbuk podcast, co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and Rachael Baumgartner are joined by Natasha Nikolaeva, CEO and co-founder of STRETCHIT. Together, they explore a critical issue affecting today's workforce: musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Natasha, a former corporate attorney turned wellness entrepreneur, shares her personal journey with back pain and how it inspired a science-based approach to flexibility and mobility.

The conversation reveals staggering statistics about workplace wellness, noting that nearly 40% of US adults live with an MSK condition. This costs employers over $40 per member per month in claims alone, severely impacting employee productivity and overall quality of life. Natasha explains how true prevention requires addressing the root causes of daily stiffness before clinical care is needed.

By introducing "micro-wellness" and short, accessible movement programs into the daily routine, employers can help their teams build sustainable, healthy habits. The episode highlights the stretching benefits for both desk-bound professionals and physically demanding frontline roles, proving that simple, proactive movement can drive engagement and deliver meaningful cost savings.

Episode Timestamps:

• [01:00] - The hidden costs of MSK conditions on claims and employee productivity
• [05:00] - What true MSK prevention looks like in the modern workplace
• [13:00] - The power of micro-wellness and one-minute movement breaks
• [17:00] - Overcoming engagement barriers with simplicity and leadership support
• [24:00] - Adapting stretching routines for both desk-based and frontline employees
• [28:00] - Measuring the long-term ROI and success of preventative health initiatives

Key Takeaways:

• Prevention over treatment: MSK conditions are a top cost driver; true prevention starts by addressing daily habits like prolonged sitting before injuries occur.
• The power of micro-wellness: Consistency beats intensity. Short, one-minute hourly movement breaks are highly effective for building lasting habits.
• Simplicity drives engagement: Workplace wellness initiatives succeed when they are easy to access, highly personalized, and fit seamlessly into a busy workday.
• Leadership matters: When managers actively participate in movement programs during meetings, it signals that employee health is a genuine cultural priority.
• Measurable impact: Proactive movement programs reduce clinical costs and boost employee productivity by minimizing daily pain, fatigue, and distraction.

Stay in Touch!

• Connect with Natasha Nikolaeva on LinkedIn
• Visit STRETCHIT to learn more about their preventative movement solutions
• Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
• Get the complete Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
• Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and Rachael Baumgartner on LinkedIn

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this episode of Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist, hosts Brittany Hardaway and Rachael Baumgartner sit down with Dr. Janet Young, Clinical Analytics Advisor at Springbuk, to unpack a growing challenge for employers: the rising costs of diabetes care.

‍Dr. Young shares that diabetes-related spending has surged by 38% over the past three years—far outpacing other chronic conditions. A major driver? The skyrocketing use of GLP-1 agonists, medications originally developed for diabetes but now widely used for weight loss.

While these medications offer powerful benefits, including improved glucose control and cardiovascular protection, their costs continue to climb, creating tough decisions for employer-sponsored health plans.

As employers strategize for the future, Dr. Young emphasizes three key priorities: tracking diabetes trends, proactively addressing prediabetes, and ensuring equitable access to care.

The conversation also explores the expanding role of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) beyond type 1 diabetes patients. These devices, which eliminate the need for fingersticks, are gaining traction among insulin-dependent type 2 diabetics and could have broader applications—potentially even helping prediabetic individuals prevent disease progression.

Dr. Young also highlights the stark disparities in diabetes treatment based on social determinants of health (SDOH), with more vulnerable populations less likely to access newer medications and monitoring tools.

• Diabetes costs are rising fast – Diabetes spending jumped 38% over three years, driven largely by the rising use of GLP-1 agonists.
• GLP-1 medications are in high demand – More effective than older treatments and linked to weight loss, GLP-1s are now used by over 40% of type 2 diabetics.
• CGMs are expanding beyond insulin users – Real-time glucose tracking is gaining popularity and could play a role in prediabetes prevention.
• Social determinants of health matter – Diabetes rates double in high-vulnerability populations, yet these groups have less access to newer treatments.
• Employers should focus on three things – Monitor diabetes trends, tackle prediabetes early, and reduce treatment disparities.

• Connect with Janet Young on LinkedIn
• Get the complete 2025 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
• Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and Rachael Baumgartner

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

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Insights from Employee Health Trends 2025 with subject matter expert Nicole Belles, Sr. VP of Product at Springbuk.

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

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In this episode of Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist, Rob Lehane, co-founder and CEO of LeapHealth, explores the financial and logistical challenges of specialty infusion therapies—a critical yet often misunderstood aspect of employee healthcare. Drawing on his extensive experience in healthcare and benefits innovation, Rob highlights how LeapHealth is transforming the landscape with a focus on cost-saving and patient-centered solutions.

Rob explains that specialty infusion drugs account for a small percentage of employee use but drive disproportionately high healthcare costs. He shares, "Over half of the specialty drug spend comes from just 2% of employees using infusion therapies." LeapHealth addresses this imbalance by moving care from expensive hospital settings to patient homes, making treatments not only more cost-effective but also far more convenient.

The episode unpacks LeapHealth’s transparent pricing model, which eliminates drug markups and aligns care delivery with the needs of both employers and employees.

Key Takeaways From the Episode Include:

• Specialty infusion drugs are a major cost driver, often due to inefficient care settings.
• LeapHealth’s in-home infusion model provides a safer, more convenient alternative to hospital-based care.
• Transparent pricing eliminates unnecessary markups, saving employers significant costs.
• Employers can take actionable steps, like exploring site-of-care strategies and direct provider contracts, to better control infusion therapy expenses.
• Supporting employees with chronic conditions enhances productivity, satisfaction, and overall health outcomes.

Stay in Touch!
Connect with Rob Lehane on LinkedIn or Visit LeapHealth

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

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In this episode, we break down the broad and powerful world of health analytics, aiming to show how data can improve healthcare outcomes while managing costs. Health analytics goes beyond simple record-keeping to integrate data from claims, biometric screenings, wearable devices, and more. A great analogy in the episode compares it to having a “super-powered health detective” on your team, with predictive analytics that can even foresee risks like diabetes or cardiovascular issues before they manifest. This proactive approach allows employers and advisors to target wellness programs effectively, shifting from reactive treatment to prevention.

Key takeaways include:

• Cost Containment: By analyzing claims, employers can identify overspending patterns and address them without compromising care.
• Predictive Analytics: Using risk data, employers can preemptively support at-risk employees with targeted health programs, gym memberships, and more.
• Machine Learning and AI: These tools enhance analysis by uncovering patterns in vast data, providing insights that guide better decision-making.
• Privacy and Data Security: As this field grows, robust measures and transparency are essential to build trust and protect sensitive health information.
• Future of Personalized Care: The goal is individualized health plans and preventive healthcare, helping people “stay healthy, not just get healthy.”

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

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This episode explores the concept of health intelligence, unpacking its complexities and showing how it differs from health analytics. Health intelligence, unlike mere analytics, isn’t just about gathering data but is about turning that data into actionable insights that drive change. A memorable comparison likens health intelligence to a detective piecing together clues: “It’s not just about crunching numbers; it’s about uncovering the story behind them to improve lives.” For employer benefits leaders and advisors, understanding health intelligence means moving from reactive healthcare strategies to proactive, data-driven interventions tailored to specific workplace needs.

Key takeaways include:

• Defining Health Intelligence: It’s more than data collection—it’s the skill of applying knowledge to improve health outcomes.
• Analytics vs. Intelligence: Analytics provides data; intelligence interprets it to inform meaningful strategies.
• Real-time Data & Forecasting: Essential features for platforms include real-time insights and forecasting to predict and prevent issues before they arise.
• Tailored Interventions: Using data to create targeted health programs, like wellness initiatives or gym partnerships, that cater to unique workforce needs.
• Empowering Proactive Health Management: Health intelligence supports not only addressing existing health issues but also anticipating and mitigating future ones.

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside