From Invisible to Visible - Positive Deviance Initiative

“Networks are about patterns of relationships,”
Ms. Holley explained. “People are actually building
relationships as they work together. New
ideas about MRSA prevention and control are
spreading through these new relational patterns,
and people are continually coming up with new
actions to respond to MRSA.”
The three social network maps that follow present
a graphic illustration of how relationships
have changed at Billings Clinic in the past few
years. The first network map is a baseline map,
which plots the relationships based on employee
responses to the following question: Before the fall
of 2006 (the PD MRSA kickoff event), with whom
did you work on MRSA elimination efforts?
The baseline network map to a large extent displays
a hub and spoke structure. The three major
hubs at the center (dark blue) are individuals
who work in infection control and safety. Most
individuals interact with the hub but not with
each other.
The second network map represents a collaboration
map, which plots the employee responses to
the following question: With whom have you
worked since the fall of 2006 (the PD MRSA kickoff
event) on MRSA elimination efforts?
The collaboration network map shows the emergence
of a larger core group of individuals
involved in MRSA prevention (including representatives
of administration and ancillary units),
going beyond the few individuals responsible for
infection control and patient safety. The various
units (as evidenced by different colored nodes)
are more networked within themselves and with
the core, but not to the same extent with other
units.
The third network map represents a potential collaboration
map, which plots the employee
Baseline social network map
24