KU News Release

Wichita symposium features innovative solutions to social problems

LAWRENCE — For the second consecutive year, international business and culture expert Jerry Sternin will address health care professionals, social change agents and Kansas civic leaders about positive deviance, an innovative approach to solving social problems.

Sternin will present his workshop, “Positive Deviance: An Approach to Solve Intractable Social Problems,” July 24-25 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita. The symposium is part of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s yearlong series Deep Discovery, which explores the universal challenges faced by health care professionals who influence quality health care delivery and systems improvement.

According to Sternin, director of the Positive Deviance Institute in Boston, Mass., solutions to intractable problems within an organization or community may already exist and by tapping these isolated examples of success, stubborn problems can be solved.

“We are fortunate to get Jerry again this year,” said Michael R. Bleich, associate dean of the KU School of Nursing. “Demand for solving complex social problems without adding resources is critical at this juncture in our economic times. Jerry professes that the addition of resources is not always possible, but that doesn’t mean that intractable problems should be ignored or lie stagnant. Last year’s participants told us this was truly one of the best educational experiences they had ever had, that more on the topic was needed and said Mr. Sternin was an outstanding speaker and facilitator.”

The symposium is sponsored by KU HealthPartners Inc. and the KU School of Nursing, who are co-sponsoring the event with the Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Sternin’s internationally acclaimed work took roots during his years in developing countries with Save the Children and the Peace Corps. His positive deviance model has been used to address malnutrition crises in more than 40 countries around the world, and most currently is being used to tackle MRSA and medication reconciliation in hospital settings.

Recently, Sternin has presented the positive deviance approach to corporate and social entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum in Geneva and has been involved in positive deviance projects for World Bank.

-30-

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.