Where sustainability meets health care

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Can we have real sustainability within our community or businesses if our residents and employees are not themselves sustainable?

In Wikipedia, the description for "sustainability" is stated as the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which in turn depends on the well being of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources. The same principle applies for our businesses.

If a person is not accountable for the role they play in their own lives and in their own health, how can they be expected to be aware of, and accountable for, their impact on the environment? One can equally make the same connection to the impact an “unhealthy” employee has on the workplace environment. I use the quotes around unhealthy because the meaning can be broad. Physical, mental, emotional, and fiscal health are all required to be truly healthy, productive, and sustainable.

Sustainability and health care are two of the most pressing issues we face today.

Coincidentally, they are both directly connected to each other. For example, a study by the Institute of Industrial Engineers found that "for every increase of one pound in the average weight per passenger, approximately 39.2 million gallons are consumed annually to transport the extra weight." Further, the report also stated, "the rising prevalence of obesity among children has resulted in an increased use of larger (and hence, heavier) child car seats." This point in particular should be thought provoking as to the further implications.

The more we consume, the more chemicals are used to produce and enhance crops, more resources must be used to create packaging, and frankly, more human waste is produced. As we become less healthy, medication production increases, more needles are used, more blood is drawn, and therefore we have increased amount of biowaste that must be disposed of from medical practitioners.

Health and wellness is absolutely linked to sustainability. Has our health deteriorated due to our lack of sustainable practices? Or has sustainability been hindered due to our unhealthy behavior? The likely answer is: Both. However, it is my opinion that sustainability only comes from changing our personal health-related behaviors first.

We must be accountable for the roles we each play in our personal and professional lives. If businesses wish to truly be sustainable, they must start with their employees. Not just encouraging recycling, going paperless, and riding mass transit. While my personal belief is that the health of an employee is not the employer's responsibility, it will benefit them greatly to have healthy employees. If they provide a supportive environment, encourage and potentially incentivize accountability, and provide their employees with meaningful tools that will be broadly embraced, their businesses will become healthier and more sustainable as their employees do.

Can we have sustainable businesses and communities without sustainable people? No. But can we reverse the trend and build sustainable people? Yes. Forward-thinking employers are taking the required actions and seeing tangible results. Their healthier employees are more productive, turn over less, have higher morale, provide better service, and have lower health benefit utilization. All of this adds up to lower costs, and higher profits.

For our businesses, that’s sustainability.

Scott Fouser is a principal with Kadalyst, which works with businesses to change behaviors within their organizations and their employees which positively impact personal health, productivity, morale, accident rates, workers comp claims and numerous other factors. He can be reached at 503.206.7112 or scott@kadalyst.com.