September 2026 |
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Inside this edition:
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Congratulations to the 2026 Outstanding Community Organization Award Recipient: Wilder African American Babies Coalition and Projects!
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Poster Abstract Submission Deadline Extended to September 18th
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We Hope to See You at the 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit
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This Thursday: Attend Session One of the Rural IMPACT Sprint
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Calling Birthing Facility Teams: Join the Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning
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Next Up in the Perinatal Education ECHO Series: A Panel Discussion on Obstetric Hemorrhage
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Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Community Events
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September - Newborn Screening Awareness Month
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Celebrating Minnesota Birthing Facilities
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Congratulations to the 2026 Outstanding Community Organization Award Recipient: Wilder African American Babies Coalition and Projects! |
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MNPQC is truly honored to present the 2026 Outstanding Community Organization Award to Wilder African American Babies Coalition and Projects (AABC). This award recognizes a Minnesota-based organization that has made significant strides in improving care for birthing families in the communities they serve. In 2026, AABC did just that through their culturally responsive programs like the Gentle Postpartum Recovery Project and the Family Spirit Home Visiting Program, along with efforts like the Black and Brown Birthing Summit. AABC truly embodies the spirit of this award by bringing together communities to implement meaningful change, ultimately advancing birth equity for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and underserved families.
Join us in congratulating the AABC staff on the impactful work they continue to implement!
We are also recognizing the Honorable Mentions for the 2026 Outstanding Community Organization Award: The Childbirth Collective, Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies, the Chocolate Milk Club, Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota, and the Southside Community Health Services, for their outstanding commitment to supporting their community in Minnesota and working towards improving perinatal health outcomes.
Visit MNPQC’s Community Award page to learn more about this award, the 2026 recipient, and honorable mentions!
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Poster Abstract Submission Deadline Extended to September 18th |
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There are only a few days left to submit an abstract for MNPQC’s Perinatal Improvement Summit! Share your research, quality improvement work, or promising practices with more than 200 perinatal health professionals and advocates on October 27, 2026.
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.
Extended Abstract Deadline: September 18, 2026. |
| Submit an Abstract |
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We Hope to See You at the 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit |
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We cannot believe we are less than two months away from our biggest event of the year! Join us and more than 200 perinatal professionals and advocates on October 27, 2026, at the Minneapolis Marriott West for the 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit.
This year’s theme, Uniting to Advance Perinatal Health, encapsulates what this event is all about: coming together to share knowledge and resources, build connections, and strengthen partnerships across disciplines, geography, and communities to make meaningful strides in improving perinatal outcomes for all Minnesota families.
There is still time to register! Save your seat today!
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| Save Your Seat |
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This Thursday: Attend Session One of the Rural IMPACT Sprint
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We are excited to launch MNPQC’s newest program, the Rural Improving Maternal & Perinatal Access, Care, and Teamwork (IMPACT) Sprint, this Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 12 - 1 PM.
The opening session will dive into the AIM Obstetric Emergency Readiness Resource Toolkit, outlining the 5 R’s, defining key components of readiness, and assessing facility-level current-state readiness. The session will focus on the challenges unique to rural settings and provide actionable strategies for navigating staffing and transfer capacity issues, communities without access to maternity care, and low-volume delivery settings.
Over the next six months, the Rural IMPACT Sprint will cover a range of topics related to the unique challenges faced by rural and Critical Access Hospitals in Minnesota. Anyone is welcome to join this free series for one or more of the sessions.
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| Add the Sprint to Your Calendar! |
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Calling Birthing Facility Teams: Join the Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning |
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Early identification of factors that may affect maternal and infant health, combined with coordinated, multidisciplinary care, is essential to improving outcomes. The Perinatal Risk & Readiness Community of Learning (COL), running from October 2026 through April 2027, will support labor and delivery teams in strengthening screening, risk assessment, and response for commercial nicotine use, substance use, intimate partner violence, and perinatal mental health.
The COL will kick off with an in-person community ‘speed dating’ event on October 26, 2026. Birthing facility teams enrolled in the program will have the opportunity to connect face-to-face and build partnerships with community organizations that can provide resources and serve as referral sources for important perinatal health and safety needs. These partnerships can help address factors that impact the overall well-being of pregnant women and their babies.
Following this event, birthing facility teams will submit data, implement practice changes, and participate in monthly virtual meetings with other program participants to learn and collaborate.
Interested in joining this COL? Email qi@minnesotaperinatal.org to get started!
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Next Up in the Perinatal Education ECHO Series: A Panel Discussion on Obstetric Hemorrhage |
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We’re excited to bring a new format to one of our upcoming Perinatal Education ECHO sessions!
Join us on September 24, 2026, from 12:00 - 1:00 pm CDT for a listening panel featuring three team champions who participated in MNPQC’s recent Obstetrical Hemorrhage Community of Learning (COL).
This session is all about learning from the people who have been doing the work. Panelists will share what their experience was like implementing and strengthening obstetric hemorrhage practices within their own settings, including the challenges they encountered, what worked well, lessons they learned along the way, and what they would recommend to other teams beginning similar work. With obstetric hemorrhage remaining one of the leading causes of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality, opportunities to share experiences and learn from one another are more important than ever!
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| Register Today! |
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September - Newborn Screening Awareness Month |
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Did you know Minnesota has one of the most comprehensive newborn screening programs in the country?
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), along with hospitals, laboratories, and health care professionals, works to ensure newborns receive these important screenings. Newborn screening helps identify nearly 60 genetic, hormonal, and metabolic disorders, as well as hearing loss and certain critical heart defects.
The goal is simple: early detection and timely care to help babies get the support they need to grow and thrive. As we recognize National Newborn Screening Awareness Month this September, it’s a great opportunity for families and health care professionals to learn more about newborn screening in Minnesota and what parents can expect to make informed decisions about early detection and care.
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| Newborn Screening Program |
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Celebrating Minnesota Birthing Facilities |
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At MNPQC, we’re proud to highlight the incredible work of birthing facility teams across Minnesota who work day in and day out to provide high-quality care for birthing families.
That’s the heart of the MNPQC Hospital Designation Program: recognizing and celebrating the dedication of hospital teams and the meaningful improvements they make through quality improvement program engagement.
This year, our team has had the privilege of visiting several of our partnered facilities, including North Memorial Maple Grove, Lakewood Health System, Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Sanford Thief River Medical Center, and Allina Health United Hospital (pictured above).
Congratulations to all of these teams! Thank you for your continued commitment to improving perinatal health and creating better outcomes for Minnesota families! |
| Hospital Designation Program |
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