August 8, 2007 – The week-long Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Conference held in June focused on educational sessions tied into its theme of “Innovation in Infection Prevention.”
Among the featured presentations was “The Power of Positive Deviance: Change from the Inside Out.” Positive Deviance, presented by Jerry Sternin, Director of the Positive Deviance Initiative, Tufts University, is based on the observation that in every community (i.e. village, corporation, school system, hospital, etc.) there are certain individuals or entities whose uncommon but demonstrably successful behaviors enable them to find better solutions to seemingly intractable problems. These individuals stand apart from their neighbors or colleagues who have access to exactly the same resources. The Positive Deviance approach has been applied to problems as diverse as malnutrition; HIV/AIDS risk reduction, neo-natal mortality and the elimination of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), more commonly referred to as the “super bug.”
More than 75 topics, including a discussion on the Norovirus, were presented during the week. Attendees also got a first look at the “Model Infection Prevention System of the Future,” which offers a more integrated systems-based approach to infection prevention.
For more information: www.apic.org
January 27, 2026 
