Healthy communities, healthy bottom lines

According to the National Association of Corporate Directors, boardrooms today face a dizzying list of risks: economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity threats, technological disruption, and a tightening labor market. But the one risk too often overlooked? That businesses rely on healthy people and healthy communities.

Despite spending more on healthcare than any other nation, the U.S. is falling behind on nearly every major health indicator. Life expectancy is declining, chronic illness is rising, and access to care remains uncertain for one in four Americans. These aren’t just public health issues. They’re economic issues. They weaken our workforce, strain businesses, threaten national security, and erode trust in institutions.

The equation is simple: Healthy communities fuel healthy businesses. One Deloitte report estimates that improving health across the U.S. could add $2.8 trillion to GDP by 2040, with corporate profits possibly increasing by $763 billion. In today’s environment, companies prioritizing health attract better talent, earn more trust, and stay more competitive. It’s a business risk no leader can afford to ignore.

FROM CHARITY TO STRATEGY

For too long, corporate social responsibility was treated as an afterthought. A check written here, a charitable initiative there. But stakeholders are demanding more. A recent survey found that 84% of Americans believe corporations have a responsibility to strengthen the communities where they operate, and 72% say those corporations should help solve major systemic issues.

Today, employees, customers, and investors expect it. Businesses are being judged not only by quarterly earnings, but by how they show up in communities. In a polarized world, trust is fragile. And once lost, it is hard to regain. That’s why business leaders can no longer view community health as charity. It must be seen for what it is: strategy.

WHAT WORKS

At CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when companies get it right. We’ve had the privilege of working with businesses that are moving beyond charitable donations to co-lead real solutions: We’ve partnered with Ameriprise Bank to host a series of workshops to advance mental wellness in the workplace. Ardelyx is facilitating community engagement activities to increase access to services. The Samaritan Health Project, Inc. hosted health fairs and connected residents to pharmacies that provided discounted rates on prescriptions. Hilti launched Mental Health Mondays for employees. These leaders recognize the truth: When community health declines, so does the bottom line.

These efforts succeed because they are local, collaborative, and sustained. They aren’t acts of charity. They are smart investments in a healthier, more productive future.

COLLABORATE FOR GREATER IMPACT

In the last century, value was measured almost exclusively in financial terms, such as quarterly returns, market share, and shareholder wealth. But that equation is shifting. Today, the true currency of competitive advantage lies in the ability to collaborate across boundaries, earn trust in a skeptical world, and harness data for collective impact.

That’s the vision behind our new Leadership Council for Healthier Communities (LCHC)—the first national council of its kind designed to bring leaders from business, philanthropy, health systems, and grassroots organizations together to cocreate solutions and measure results.

LCHC isn’t about replacing what companies are already doing. It’s about connecting, aligning, and scaling those efforts—whether that’s addressing maternal health, tackling obesity and cardiometabolic disease, strengthening nutrition and food security, or ethically leveraging new tools like artificial intelligence to improve access to care.

In short: It’s a place where organizations across sectors can collaborate to turn commitments into outcomes, and strategy into results.

A STRONGER FUTURE, TOGETHER

Declining community health isn’t an abstract concern—it’s already hitting the bottom line. And unless businesses act, the costs will only grow.

But the reverse is also true. When companies invest in healthier communities, employees thrive, talent pipelines expand, and customer trust deepens.

The companies that thrive in the next decade will be those that treat community health as strategy—not as philanthropy or PR.

That work can’t happen in silos. It requires leaders willing to collaborate across sectors, share what works, and hold themselves accountable for results. The next generation of value creators will be those who partner across boundaries, invest in the health of people and places, and make trust their competitive edge.

That’s the vision behind the Leadership Council for Healthier Communities, a platform where business leaders can scale what works and unlock growth that benefits everyone.

When we invest in healthier communities, we don’t just create stronger neighborhoods—we create stronger businesses, stronger economies, and a stronger future. Because the health of business and the health of communities are inextricably linked. 

Jean Accius, PhD is president and CEO at CHC: Creating Healthier Communities.

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