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We have BIG news!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new podcast series, The Five Mile Difference, which will bring together the brightest minds in healthcare, HR, and benefits strategy to explore the challenges and innovations shaping healthcare access for everyday workers.
The Five Mile Difference takes its name from a stark reality: that in America, the average life expectancy can vary by more than 20 years for people living just five miles apart. This staggering divide is often driven by differences in wealth, access to care, and systemic inequities that disproportionately impact frontline and hourly workers. For employers, especially those in service industries, this distance often reflects an even greater divide between benefit offerings and actual employee utilization.
“The Five Mile Difference is an extension of our mission to make quality care more accessible for everyday workers,” said Joseph Kitonga, Vitable's CEO and founder. “Our goal is to shine a light on the real barriers Americans face when it comes to healthcare—and to tap into the insights of thought leaders and industry experts on how we can take meaningful steps to ensure underserved populations have better access. We want this podcast to be a platform where bold ideas and actionable strategies come together to help close the healthcare gap.”
The series kicks off with a powerful episode featuring Tom Sondergeld, former Vice President of Global Benefits at Walgreens Boots Alliance (the multinational company that owns Walgreens) and current advisor to Vitable Health. With over 30 years of experience leading corporate benefits strategy, Sondergeld is one of the most respected voices in healthcare today.
“We’re honored to open our podcast series with someone of Tom’s caliber,” said Kitonga. “His leadership at Walgreens, where he managed healthcare for hundreds of thousands of employees, offers unparalleled insight into what needs to change. This conversation lays the foundation for what we’re building at Vitable Health.”
In our inaugural episode, host Kitonga and featured guest Sondergeld unpack some of the most pressing issues in U.S. healthcare, from systemic disparities in access to the unsustainable burden of cost management on employers. The episode sheds light on why the current system continues to fail frontline and hourly workers, and how innovative benefit models like Vitable's are reframing what healthcare delivery and benefits engagement can look like.
Sondergeld also emphasizes the critical need to move from a reactive “sick care” model to a proactive system that genuinely supports employee wellness. “We’re a sick care system, not a health care system. We wait until you’re sick to intervene—by then it’s often too late,” said Sondergeld, reinforcing Vitable’s core strategy of integrating virtual primary care with employer-compliant health plans to dramatically improve access while reducing costs.
Additional guests will be announced in the coming weeks. The Five Mile Difference podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and right here on the Vitable Health blog page.
About Tom Sondergeld
Tom Sondergeld is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare and employee benefits strategy with over 30 years of experience driving transformation across Fortune 50 companies, startups, and global organizations. As the former Vice President of Global Benefits at Walgreens Boots Alliance, he led healthcare programs for one of the largest workforces in the world, delivering innovative solutions that saved hundreds of millions of dollars without raising costs for employees.
Today, Sondergeld is the founder and Managing Partner of TS Consulting Services, where he advises startups, employer groups, transparent PBMs, and private equity-backed healthcare ventures. He also serves as a senior expert at McKinsey & Company, consulting with employers and payers on benefits design and delivery. Known for his deep industry relationships, strategic thinking, and operational excellence, Sondergeld is a trusted voice at the intersection of healthcare innovation, cost control, and access to care.
About Vitable Health
Vitable Health is the nation’s leading health benefits platform, making healthcare better for business owners and employees. With a focus on real access over red tape, Vitable Health offers employers affordable, ACA-compliant health benefit solutions, including Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) plans, MVP plans, and ICHRA and QSEHRA options, that are packaged with Direct Primary Care and can be enhanced with Vision and Dental benefits. Every plan includes access to virtual primary care visits, mental health coaching, and over 1,000 covered prescriptions and labs with zero out-of-pocket costs. To date, Vitable Health has raised $25 million from top-tier investors, including First Round Capital, Y Combinator, Cherryrock Capital, Citi Bank’s Impact Fund, Commerce Ventures, Jack Altman, Michael Seibel, Immad Akhund, and SoftBank Opportunity Fund.
Contact: media@vitablehealth.com
Media kit available here.
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