It’s almost unheard of for a physician to ask the patient about the larger relationships that sustain his or her life. We’re quizzed about the nature of our symptoms, but no one ever asks, “How often do you get into the outdoors? How connected are you to your habitat and your community?”

The health of the human body is ultimately dependent on the health of habitat and community. And yet, this connection is almost universally ignored in modern health disciplines where biomedical reductionism rules the day. Human health and environmental preservation are treated as entirely different fields, with miles of empty space between them.

PROVIDERS IN ALL PARTS OF the health care system recognize that troublesome social conditions drive much of their work and costs. Major challenges in people’s social circumstances—layoffs, foreclosures, accidents, violence—can create horrific health care needs, many of which become chronic and carry high price tags. These extreme needs are omnipres