Most of what ails us cannot be fixed by our doctors.

One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association pegged direct medical care as contributing a measly 10 percent to overall health. So we’re spending upward of $2.5 trillion a year—but are we spending on the right things? Health is a web, not a straight line. Pick any point in the web, and you are surrounded by personal, organizational and social factors.

Socioeconomic status, in fact, may be the single best indicator of health. As far back as the 1970s, a study of British civil service workers showed a direct connection between job status and longevity—those on the lower rungs of the civil service ladder tended to die younger.

It’s not just the Brits. Studies show that education, literacy, employment, income, family and social support, community safety, early childhood, race and ethnicity affect the health of the communities we serve.

So when we started talking about “total health” a few years back, we knew we were talking about something downright revolutionary. Traditional strategies focused on individual behavior are important—but they fall short unless social, environmental and economic factors are addressed at the same time.

So at Kaiser Permanente, we’ve improved food choices for employees and patients. We’ve started using natural building materials and cleaning solutions. We know that certain color schemes and art can speed healing, so our newest buildings take that into account.

But total health demands much more—within our walls and beyond. There is a distinct correlation, for example, between poverty, diabetes and obesity in KP service areas. Many of us live in those struggling neighborhoods—and no doubt there’s a correlation between our own health and our socioeconomic status, even within the walls of KP.

KP’s Community Benefit program is taking a reality-based approach.

KP has launched “a focused, collaborative effort to transform the very places where people live, work and play,” says Ray Baxter, senior vice president for Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy at Kaiser Permanente. The evidence has helped us shift to “broader community priorities such as land use, violence and food insecurity.”

To address the “upstream” causes of obesity, Kaiser Permanente and its community partners are creating farmers markets, installing walking and biking paths, upgrading parks and improving public transportation.

They’re working to attract fresh food outlets to local “food deserts,” persuading city planning departments to write health criteria into general plans, and helping schools provide healthier food and more time for physical activity.

It’s a good start. And as a society we have little choice. Health care eats up a ridiculous 17 percent of the U.S. economy, and if we don’t reverse the skyrocketing increases in chronic illness, we soon won’t have any money left for schools, bridges or libraries.

Spinning a healthier web

While our individual choices are only part of the picture, they are the easiest for us to control. Start spinning a healthier web today by taking the Total Health Assessment (THA). It’s completely confidential and can help you take charge of your own health. Just do it—don’t make me ask again!

Help your workplace team get healthier by joining KP Walk! and Thrive Across America.

Speak up for a new idea. Participate wholeheartedly in your unit-based team—help it use the Value Compass to guide your work. That’ll be good for your health, too! Studies by Robert A. Karasek of the University of Massachusetts and by David Almeida of Penn State have shown that workers who had some control over their environment were far less likely to experience stressful conditions.

In other words: When we are engaged in a balanced, successful workplace, with mutual respect and open communication, it improves our physical health.

The latest KP market research has shown that consumers “get it.” They know health care needs a revolution.

We get it, too. Take just one action today for total health—for yourself, your team and the communities we serve.

The revolution is ours

In every region except Northern California, you can access the Total Health Assessment at kp.org/hwf; in Northern California, access the THA at www.kplivewellbewell.org. Sign up for KP Walk! at www.kpwalk.com and for Thrive Across America at www.thriveacrossamerica.com.