The Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine (KNN) is a movement focused on integrating four foundational elements—caring, character, practical wisdom, and human flourishing—within the profession of medicine to ignite positive culture change. This past September, the KNN hosted its first annual conference in Milwaukee and launched an online community of practice to further connect people who are interested in advancing flourishing in medicine.
“We had about 250 attendees at the inaugural national conference,” said Sarah Williams, senior communications consultant for the KNN. “That included faculty, staff, and students from our seven founding member schools, but also nearly thirty other organizations who are interested in the framework concepts and how they can be applied to medicine.”
The KNN founding member schools include Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, MCW Medical School, the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
“In these first five years or so, we’ve started as a network consisting of the founding member schools, but thankfully, with continued support and investment in this work we’re positioned to grow further,” Williams said. In June 2022 the Kern Family Foundation announced a $50 million investment in the Medical College of Wisconsin over the next five years, part of which will accelerate the work of the KNN.
“Moving into our next phase of growth, we will expand our membership and bring together a broader community of organizations and individuals who are committed to the KNN’s mission and are motivated to try new ideas, embrace new ways of thinking, and cultivate an open inquiry mindset,” said Cheryl A. Maurana, PhD, founding director of the KNN, senior vice president for strategic academic partnerships, and professor of population health at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
As the movement expands beyond the seven founding schools, the KNN plans to continue to build the network through an annual conference. Additionally, there is a new online community where colleagues across the country can share ideas, explore different ways of thinking, and connect with others who are interested in issues of caring and character toward flourishing in medicine. The online community also houses conference materials and artifacts such as presentation slides, posters, and videos on topics ranging from holistic admissions to creating more supportive clinical learning and practice environments.
“As we talked with stakeholders across the health ecosystem, we consistently heard that there was a desire for space to hold conversations about meaningful topics that aren’t often covered in formal curriculum or professional development; a place to connect on issues of meaning and purpose in medicine and to be able to find both people with similar interests, and then also diverse perspectives,” said Kimara Ellefson, MBA, national director of strategy and partnerships for the KNN. “That’s what led us to start looking at creating an online community or virtual community of practice.”
The online community is a way that the KNN hopes to keep these conversations going throughout the year. They look forward to seeing this forum, and the community as a whole, expand in the coming years as they invite others to learn more about this work.