Navigate's People First Podcast

Rethinking how workplaces support women’s health

Most employers have a women's health benefit somewhere in their stack. It probably covers fertility or pregnancy, maybe menopause. And then it stops — as if women stop having health needs the moment they step off that particular conveyor belt. In this episode, Troy sits down with Dawn DuBois, Director of Community Outreach at St. Luke's Health System, and Dr. Jen Musick, Navigate's VP of Clinical Strategy, to make the case for treating women's health as a continuous, coordinated enterprise strategy — not a series of disconnected point solutions. Dawn brings 16 years of community health experience and a front-row view of where women fall through the cracks. Dr. Jen brings the clinical lens, including a sharp focus on why cardiovascular risk in women remains one of the most overlooked gaps in employer wellbeing programs. Together, they outline what it actually looks like to move from check-the-box women's benefits to an integrated strategy that follows women from their 20s through menopause and beyond. We also cover: * Why heart disease — the number one killer of women — rarely shows up in employer women's health programs, and what closing that gap looks like in practice *  How St. Luke’s Spirit impacts women’s health in the community across all stages of life, meeting women where they are in the times that matter most. * The two building blocks every HR leader should start with when launching or overhauling a women's health strategy — regardless of budget or company size

Reaching diverse workforces across industries - why your wellbeing program isn't working (and what actually does)

If your wellbeing program looks the same for every employee, it’s not a strategy — it’s a guess. And guesses don’t lower healthcare costs or fix burnout.In this episode, Troy Vincent and Jeremy Knipper sit down with Navigate’s VP of Clinical Strategy, Dr. Jen Musick  to unpack a reality most HR teams are quietly facing: wellbeing programs often fail because they ignore how people actually work. A plant worker on second shift, a burned-out nurse, a union crew member, and a high-performing consultant all face different pressures — yet companies still roll out the same step challenge and call it engagement. That’s where things break.The conversation dives into how Navigate approaches wellbeing differently: by aligning clinical science, workforce culture, and real engagement data to design programs that actually work across different industries. We also explore: * Why cookie-cutter wellbeing programs quietly fail across industries * The engagement myth that’s costing employers millions in healthcare spend * How personalized pathways drive 50%+ risk migration and real behavior change * Why public sector and union workforces often outperform expectations in wellbeing engagement * How leadership participation and culture determine whether a program succeeds or stalls

How culture turns wellbeing Into clinical results with Toby Stime and Jad Khalil

If your wellbeing program can’t prove outcomes, it’s not a benefit — it’s budget confetti. In this episode, Troy Vincent and Jeremy Knipper sit down with Toby Stime [http://linkedin.com/in/toby-stime-a1966915], Director of Benefits at Foster Farms, and Jad Khali [http://linkedin.com/in/j-khalil]l, Team Lead Client Success at Navigate and for a blunt look at what actually drives measurable wellbeing results — especially in complex, diverse, frontline workforces. Foster Farms nearly cut their wellbeing program entirely after three vendors in three years left them with admin headaches, plateaued participation, and “same poster, same program” fatigue. Then they switched to Navigate — and the story flips from transactional vendor chaos to a true partnership built on trust, cultural alignment, and relentless personalization. You’ll hear how they made wellbeing accessible across 7–8 primary languages, why “culture first” unlocked real engagement, and what happened when they moved from surface-level participation to targeted condition support and human coaching (not just tech). The payoff? Biometrics that don’t lie plus a clear framework for how brokers and HR leaders should evaluate a wellbeing partner without getting sold another shiny dashboard. We also explore: * Why “nice-to-have” wellbeing dies the moment budgets tighten * The real cost of plateaued programs (and why vendors love it) * How personalization + human coaching becomes the ultimate outcomes engine * What brokers/HR should demand in a vendor evaluation (culture + evolution, or walk)

Planning for 2026: why your wellbeing strategy needs to evolve

There’s a phrase we hear all the time in our world: "meet people where they are." And while the heart behind it is absolutely in the right place, has it led us to a place where we're accidentally overwhelming our teams with choices?We try to find a solution for every single need, and suddenly we’re juggling dozens of different vendors, and our people are flooded with information.Well, what if there’s a better way? A way to truly listen and connect that goes beyond just offering another tool.We recently had an incredible conversation with our Peter Dunn, CEO at Your Money Line [https://www.yourmoneyline.com/]. We talked about what it really means to support our people, moving past old metrics like 'clicks' and focusing on something much more meaningful: readiness for change.If you’re looking for a fresh, honest take on how we can support our people without adding to the noise, you’re in the right place. This conversation is packed with big ideas about the future, we wanted to give you a way to bring them back to your own team.PLUS! You can download our 2026 Trends Playbook to explore everything we discuss today and more. Download your FREE copy here [https://www.navigatewell.com/2026-employee-benefits-wellbeing-trends-playbook?utm_campaign=31129150-2025-12-2026%20Trends&utm_content=365689141&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-22328828].

Gratitude in Action at UKHS with Sahn Lucas and Janelle Shafer

How can a small wellness team meaningfully engage over 20,000 employees across a massive health system? The team at the University of Kansas Health System discovered the answer is not just about physical health, and that traditional programs often miss the key ingredients for deep engagement: purpose and community.By focusing on gratitude and giving back, UKH has built a program that unites its workforce, strengthens the community, and has generated a ripple effect transforming their challenges from simple step-counting competitions into powerful, purpose-driven movements. Learn how Sahn Lucas and Janelle Shafer used a flexible platform and a network of champions to scale their impact, and how they partnered with other major corporations to donate hundreds of volunteer hours to local causes.Episode Highlights:00:00 – Building Flexible Wellbeing Programs That Scale00:38 – Gratitude in Action at UKH Health System01:54 – Purpose-Driven Wellness Careers and Team Culture04:31 – Creating Empathy and Community Inside UKH06:01 – Configurable Wellness Technology for Real-World Needs08:31 – Blending Digital Tools With Human Connection10:03 – Powering a 100+ Wellness Champion Network11:36 – Driving Community Partnerships and Competitive Challenges16:30 – Step Into Spring + Caring for KC: Culture-Building Events20:49 – Measuring Impact Through Steps, Volunteer Hours, and Engagement24:25 – Sustaining Year-Round Engagement With Creative Initiatives28:41 – Best Day EverKey Takeaways:"Our programming is a launching pad. Take our core concepts and go crazy. The best ideas come from our clients.""Gratitude in action builds community. It connects people to purpose and enhances well-being." "Culture at UKH is community-based and family-oriented, focusing on empathy and patient care." "Gratitude at work is about building relationships and rapport. It's a priority in personal and professional life." "Community challenges create camaraderie and positive results. Competition leads to service and outreach." "Digital tools and face-to-face interactions go hand in hand. Relationships help us tailor resources to needs." "Gratitude isn't just a feeling; it's an action. It creates a ripple effect, impacting lives and communities."Resources:Who is Navigate? Learn more at navigatewell.com Learn more about the ROI of employee wellbeing - https://info.navigatewell.com/roi-whitepaperUniversity of Kansas Health System: https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/