August 2026 - 2nd Edition |
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Inside this edition:
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There is Still Time: Submit a Poster Abstract for the Annual Summit
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Plans of Safe Care Sprint Final Report is Now Available!
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MNPQC’s Waypoint Award & Print Design
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Join our Patient Family Partner Program
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Thank you to Leslie Carranza for Your Service to MNPQC
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Upcoming MNPQC Perinatal Education ECHO Sessions
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Don't Miss Out: MNPQC’s Rural IMPACT Sprint Starts September 17
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Registration Is Open for the Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning
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Save Your Spot: MNPQC’s Perinatal Improvement Summit
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Upcoming Community Events
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A Closer Look at Maternity Care Access: March of Dimes’ Report
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Connecting Care Across Northern Minnesota: The Families First Initiative
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There is Still Time: Submit a Poster Abstract for the Annual Summit |
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Share your research, quality improvement work, or promising practices with more than 200 perinatal health professionals and advocates at the 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit through a poster! Posters will be displayed throughout the entirety of the conference, allowing attendees to view them between sessions. Poster presenters are not required to present their work, but we ask you to add your name, title, and contact info to the poster in case attendees have questions or would like to discuss your work. Submit your abstract by September 1, 2026.
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Plans of Safe Care Sprint Final Report is Now Available! |
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This spring, MNPQC hosted its three-session Plans of Safe Care (POSC) Sprint, bringing together 240 registrants from 49 Minnesota counties. Participants learned about the current landscape of POSC, explored how Plans of Safe Care are being operationalized across the country and in Minnesota, and discussed strategies for strengthening implementation through cross-system collaboration.
Thank you to our presenters for sharing their expertise, our participants for contributing thoughtful discussions and real-world experiences, and everyone who helped make this series a success. We've compiled key takeaways, resources, and lessons learned into a final report, now available on our website.
If you missed any of the sessions or would like a refresher, you can also explore our session snapshots:
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Session 1 - Plans of Safe Care (POSC) 101: The Landscape of POSC in Minnesota
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Session 2 - Operationalizing POSC: Practical Strategies for Hospitals and Community Systems
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Session 3 - Dissolving Silos: Cross-System Collaboration in POSC Implementation
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| Read Final Report |
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MNPQC’s Waypoint Award & Print Design |
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MNPQC is proud to introduce a new print design for the Waypoint Award, formerly known as the Kunsche Award. This refreshed design reflects the many unique paths families experience throughout the perinatal journey and the individuals whose dedication leaves a lasting impact on Minnesota families and communities.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Minnesota artist Jay Garcia for bringing this vision to life, as well as to the MNPQC Board of Directors and Perinatal & Family Access Committee for their thoughtful guidance and support throughout this transition. Together, their collaboration helped shape a meaningful new chapter for this longstanding recognition. Learn more about the Waypoint Award, the inspiration behind the new artwork, and past award recipients on our website. |
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Join our Patient Family Partner Program |
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MNPQC's Patient Family Partner (PFP) Program brings together individuals with diverse lived experiences related to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting in Minnesota, ensuring a wide range of perspectives to inform quality improvement efforts. These individuals contribute to meaningful change in how maternal care is delivered statewide through storytelling, providing feedback on patient materials, sharing suggestions in policy or clinical standards, and connecting during outreach perinatal health events. The MNPQC supports this group of individuals through advocacy training in partnership with MoMMAs Voices, one-on-one check-in meetings, and flexible engagement.
Your Voice Matters: Complete the Interest Form to Get Started in the program.
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Thank you to Leslie Carranza for Your Service to MNPQC |
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We extend our sincere gratitude to Leslie Carranza, MD, MHS, for her dedication to MNPQC and our mission as a Member at Large on MNPQC's Board of Directors over the last three years. Throughout her tenure, she also served on our Program Advisory Committee, helping strengthen our partnership with the Minnesota Chapter of ACOG, sharing her clinical expertise across our quality improvement programs, and contributing to our Annual Summit. We are deeply grateful for her countless hours of service and unwavering support.
Thank you for your commitment to improving the health and well-being of Minnesota families. We look forward to seeing the continued impact you'll make in advancing maternal and infant health. |
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Upcoming MNPQC Perinatal Education ECHO Sessions |
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Did you know that the MNPQC offers free, virtual learning opportunities covering a wide range of perinatal health topics?
Not only do these sessions provide a space to learn from experts in the field about new research, emerging data, and best practices, but they also bring together professionals and advocates across Minnesota who are passionate about improving perinatal health outcomes. It’s a great way to expand your knowledge, hear different perspectives, and connect with others doing this work across the state!
Join us for our upcoming sessions, held on Thursdays, from 12:00 - 1:00 pm:
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August 27, 2026: Congenital Syphilis on the Rise: Closing the Gap Through Universal Screening, Early Treatment, and Accessible Care
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September 10, 2026: Hypertension & Pregnancy
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September 24, 2026: Learning From the Field: Strengthening Obstetric Hemorrhage Response in Minnesota
Learn more and register by visiting the ECHO Series webpage! It’s not too late to join us!
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| Register Today |
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Don't Miss Out: MNPQC’s Rural IMPACT Sprint Starts September 17 |
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There's still time to register for MNPQC's Rural Improving Maternal & Perinatal Access, Care, and Teamwork (IMPACT) Sprint! This six-part series, running from September through February, will equip multidisciplinary participants with practical approaches to improve maternal emergency recognition, communication, teamwork, stabilization, transfer processes, and sustainable systems of care at rural and Critical Access Hospitals.
Each session is tailored for clinicians, nurses, quality improvement professionals, and hospital administrators working in rural healthcare settings and Critical Access Hospitals, although everyone is welcome to join. Join for all, some, or even one session - no patient or facility data collection required!
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| Learn More and Register |
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Registration Is Open for the Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning |
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MNPQC is excited to launch the Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning (PRR COL) to strengthen standardized approaches to risk assessments for mental health, substance use, intimate partner violence, and nicotine use. Participating Minnesota birthing facilities will focus on consistent screening, response, referral, and follow-up practices through this multidisciplinary quality improvement project.
Who Should Join the PRR COL? To participate, birthing facilities need to form a team of at least 3 individuals and be committed to leading Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles within their facility.
When is the PRR COL taking place? Participants in the PRR COL are expected to have at least one team member attend the following sessions. All will be held virtually via Zoom unless otherwise specified:
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Virtual Orientation with MNPQC Staff in September
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October 26th, 2026, 12-1 pm: Building Connections & Foundations for Perinatal Risk & Readiness (in-person - Minneapolis, MN)
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November 19th, 2026, 12-1 pm: Perinatal Mental Health Risk Assessments
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December 10th, 2026, 12-1 pm: Substance Use & Pregnancy Risk Assessment
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January 7th, 2027, 12-1 pm: Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment
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February 4th, 2027, 12-1 pm: Commercial Nicotine Use Risk Assessment
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April 8th, 2027, 12-1 pm: Holding the Gains: How to Sustain Successful Changes
What is the expectation for participating teams? In between calls, teams are expected to submit monthly data on the defined family of measures, as well as implement changes within their own practice setting. Quality Improvement and data submission TA will be available.
Interested in joining? Email MNPQC at QI@minnesotaperinatal.org to register.
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Save Your Spot: MNPQC’s Perinatal Improvement Summit |
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Join MNPQC on October 27, 2026, at the Minneapolis Marriott West for the 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit, a day of learning, collaboration, and connection with others working to advance perinatal health across Minnesota.
This year’s theme, Uniting to Advance Perinatal Health, reflects the partnerships and collective efforts needed to create meaningful change. Hear from leaders in the perinatal field on topics ranging from perinatal mental health and substance use disorder to hospital transfer simulation and more. Whether you’re a clinician, nurse, doula, public health professional, community organization, advocate, or family partner, the Summit offers an opportunity to share ideas, build connections, and explore strategies that support safe, respectful, and high-quality care for all families.
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| Learn More and Register |
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A Closer Look at Maternity Care Access: March of Dimes’ Report |
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According to the March of Dimes’ recently released Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. Report (August 2026), 1 in 12 women live in counties without full access to perinatal care. In the Midwest region, which includes Minnesota, 38.7% of counties are designated as maternity care deserts.
So, what exactly is a maternity care desert? The report defines a maternity care desert as a county with no hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care, no obstetric providers, and/or limited access to care due to travel considerations. The report provides an in-depth look at where maternity care deserts exist across the United States and the factors that contribute to gaps in access, offering a helpful overview of the current maternity care landscape and the experiences of communities across the country.
Take a closer look at the data by reading the full report and learn more about the communities experiencing gaps in care.
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| Download the Report |
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Connecting Care Across Northern Minnesota: The Families First Initiative |
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Care coordination in Northern Minnesota is expanding through Families First, a collaborative effort among regional health care systems working to improve access to care and support for women during pregnancy and after birth.
With a focus on rural communities and American Indian women—populations that experience disproportionately higher rates of poor perinatal outcomes—the initiative is working to create a more united approach across programs, services, and health systems throughout the region. This includes connecting individuals and families with culturally appropriate education, increasing access to specialists, expanding virtual care options, and sharing resources that respect cultural beliefs and traditions.
Serving individuals in Beltrami, Clearwater, Cass, Koochiching, Hubbard, and Itasca counties, this collaborative approach brings services and systems together to strengthen the continuum of care.
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