If companies want to make real the promise of corporate wellness, if they want to be stewards not only of the health of their employees but champions of good health in general, if they want to be persons beyond the strictly legal definition of the word, if they want to be people of conscience who are conscientious about protecting the lives of their fellow Americans, they must do all they can - whenever and however they can - to save the lives of the least among us.
That standard of care would complement an equal measure of concern on behalf of the men, women, and children who need our help. By partnering with organizations devoted to this mission, corporate wellness can become a catchall term for the civic values that matter most: good citizenship, volunteerism, and public service.
Lauren Finkelstein, Founder, Save 1 Person Take, for example, the work of Save 1 Person. Founded by Lauren Finkelstein, Save 1 Person leverages the power of TV and radio, as well as the seemingly instantaneous influence of social media, to feature individuals who need an organ transplant and/or a bone marrow donor. One such person is a four-month-old boy who must get a liver transplant, as he otherwise only has two months left to live. (His story is on the homepage of the Save 1 Person website, and potential donors can contact the child's mother at Samathachestnut.sc@gmail.com.)
If companies want to advance corporate wellness, they would be wise to align themselves with the campaign referenced above. Their motivations need not concern us, provided they dedicate themselves to the following promise: that they will dedicate a portion of their resources to educating the public about medical emergencies - and issues of moral urgency - where their name recognition can unleash a wave of positive media attention on behalf of the individuals whose pain we can lessen; whose suffering we can solve; whose redemption we can deliver.
These are lofty goals, but they are not insurmountable ones. They are possible to achieve - and will become more probable to accomplish - if companies focus on this subject with all the ability they can muster and all the munificence they can summon. That means we must include this topic in any discussion of corporate wellness. That also means we must initiate and sustain a national conversation about saving lives, not because it makes smart business sense to do so, but because it is the smart - and sensible - thing to do.
Let us ensure this conversation is as inclusive as it should be, as inclusive as it must be, so we may expand the number of people who will become organ donors; so we may create miracles rather than praying for them to happen alone; so we may truly make this work our own. Ask not, in other words, what we can do for ourselves. Ask what we, together, can do for the betterment of people across these United States.Now is the time for us to realize these principles, so we may be people of great principle.
About the Author
Lewis Fein writes about a variety of health and wellness issues, in addition to pieces about technology, business, and management. Based in Southern California, you may email him at feinlewis@gmail.com
