Division News & Statements
Wesorick Center event aims to build healthy community via polarity thinking
March 28, 2019
Original Source: GVNext
The Kirkhof College of Nursing's Bonnie Wesorick Center for Health Care Transformation will host three experts on polarity thinking for an evening presentation focused on addressing conflicts that affect the health of communities and residents.
Evelyn Clingerman, executive director of the Wesorick Center, said it could be the initial step into further community dialogue related to issues of bias and how social determinants affect the health of residents.
"Building Healthy Community: Inequities and Polarized Tensions" will be Tuesday, April 9, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Eberhard Center. The event is free and open to the public; RSVP online at gvsu.edu/wesorick. Continuing education credits are available for registered nurses.
Presenters are Barry Johnson, founding partner of Polarity Partnerships; Lindsey Burr, partner with the Yarbrough Group; and Peter Whitt, founder of Enlightenment Consultant Group.
Clingerman said these three are polarity masters and have each worked with multiple organizations, municipalities and businesses to help employees, government leaders and business owners navigate cultural changes and workplace challenges. Events like "Building Healthy Community" reflect how cities like Charleston, S.C., have started to recover after the 2015 mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
"Police and residents came together around that horrific event for a year to leverage tensions and avoid win/lose conversations," she said.
Clingerman said while West Michigan has not endured such a tragedy, polarity thinking helps people consider the root causes that affect a person's health, or how people are impacted by social determinants like housing, socioeconomic status, transportation and education.
"We hope area students and residents recognize how much Grand Valley wants to support future conversations that help address issues people cope with daily," she said.
Sponsors of the event are Kirkhof College of Nursing, the Interprofessional Institute of Polarity Thinking in Health Care, Universal Health Solutions, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, MissingLogic LLC, TANDEM365, Division of Inclusion and Equity, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Health Professions
For more information about the event, visit gvsu.edu/wesorick or call (616) 331-5767.
For More Information Contact: Michele Coffill in University Communications - (616) 331-2221