April 2026 |
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Inside this edition:
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Summit Registration is Now Open!
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Recently Released: 2025 Blue Band Survey Report
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Register for Our Plans of Safe Care Sprint (April-May 2026)
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Mark Your Calendar: MNPQC Perinatal Education ECHO Series
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AWHONN MN Conference Feature: Annie Sterle, AFE Survivor, Shares Her Story
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Expand your Knowledge in Perinatal Mental Health with Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota
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Open Arms of Minnesota: A Twin Cities Volunteer Organization
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Self-Paced Lactation Counselor Training
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Summit Registration is Now Open! |
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Registration is finally open for MNPQC’s 2026 Perinatal Improvement Summit, taking place on October 27, 2026, at the Minneapolis Marriott West. Each year, the Summit provides an “All Teach, All Learn: environment where participants share knowledge, discover resources, and build connections across disciplines and communities.
This year’s theme, Uniting to Advance Perinatal Health, highlights the importance of collaboration among clinicians, doulas, nurses, advocates, community organizations, public health professionals, and families to improve perinatal health.
Register by August 1, 2026, to receive a 20% Early Bird registration discount.
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| Learn More and Register |
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Recently Released: 2025 Blue Band Survey Report |
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MNPQC’s Blue Band Project, launched in 2020 in partnership with CentraCare St. Cloud, focuses on improving identification and support for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Since then, MNPQC has launched two hypertension-focused quality improvement programs that integrate the Blue Band Project.
The latest findings are now available in the 2025 Blue Band Survey Report: Summary of Results. Notably, the percentage of participants who were offered a Blue Band increased significantly from 63% in 2023 to 92% in 2025. The report also highlights changes in patient knowledge, hypertension education, Blue Band usage, and experiences of respect and mistreatment during care.
Lauren Witty, MNPQC’s Program Coordinator, and Susan Thompson, MNPQC’s President/CEO, will be sharing insights from this report through a poster presentation at the AWHONN MN Section’s 27th Annual Conference on April 17, 2026. Be sure to stop by their poster to learn more.
Funding Acknowledgment: Thank you to the Medica Foundation for funding MNPQC’s 2025 Blue Band Survey.
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| Read the Report |
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Register for Our Plans of Safe Care Sprint (April-May 2026) |
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Looking to better understand Plans of Safe Care (POSC) or strengthen implementation at your organization? Join MNPQC’s upcoming POSC Sprint, beginning April 30, 2026. This free, three-session educational series aims to bring together partners from healthcare, public health, and community organizations to explore practical strategies, share perspectives, and improve coordination across sectors. Each session will highlight real-world approaches and create space for discussion around what’s working and where opportunities exist.
Session Details:
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April 30, 2026 | 12-1 PM - Plans of Safe Care (POSC) 101: The Landscape of POSC in Minnesota
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May 14, 2026 | 12-1 PM - Operationalizing POSC: Practical Strategies for Hospitals and Community Systems
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May 28, 2026 | 12-1 PM - Dissolving Silos: Cross-System Collaboration in POSC Implementation
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| Register Today |
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Mark Your Calendar: Perinatal Education ECHO Series |
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The MNPQC Perinatal Education ECHO Series offers a space to connect with peers, learn from experts, and explore real-world challenges in perinatal care. This free, virtual series, held on Thursdays from 12–1 PM, features didactic presentations, case studies, and interactive discussions on a wide range of perinatal health topics, providing practical insights participants can apply to their work.
This series is open to perinatal professionals and advocates, including but not limited to healthcare, behavioral health, public health, social services, and community organizations.
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| Learn More and Register |
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AWHONN MN Conference Feature: Annie Sterle, AFE Survivor, Shares Her Story |
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Join the AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses) MN Section for their 27th Annual Conference, taking place April 16–17, 2026, in Oakdale, MN.
This year’s keynote presentation features Annie Sterle, AFE Advocate, maternal health advocate, and a member of MNPQC’s Patient Family Partner program, and her powerful documentary 24 Days Without You. The documentary shares the experience and lasting impact of severe obstetric trauma told from the perspective of Annie, her providers, and family members. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion and presentation on amniotic fluid embolism, offering space for learning, reflection, and dialogue.
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Expand your Knowledge in Perinatal Mental Health with Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota |
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Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota (PPSM) is hosting two in-person Postpartum Support International (PSI) trainings in October.
Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care Training | October 7-8, 2026 | Duluth
This two-day course, taught by expert and engaging faculty, uses a thorough, evidence-based curriculum designed for psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, social workers, mental health providers, childbirth professionals, social support providers, and anyone interested in building skills for assessing and treating perinatal mood disorders. Continuing education credits available.
Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy Training | October 9, 2026 | Duluth
This advanced training is intended for mental health and psychotherapy providers who have completed at least 14 hours of prior perinatal mental health training. Topics include differential diagnosis, evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, and advanced therapeutic issues. It combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples of treatment approaches. (This course or an equivalent six-hour advanced training course is a prerequisite for the Perinatal Mental Health Certification in the mental health/psychotherapy specialty.) Continuing education credits available.
Interested? Learn more about the trainings HERE and register today to reserve your spot!
Scholarships are available to help offset the training cost. Apply HERE.
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Open Arms of Minnesota: A Twin Cities Volunteer Organization |
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Open Arms of Minnesota has been providing Medically Tailored Meals and nutrition counseling to our neighbors with critical illnesses for 40 years. The Healthy Pregnancy Program uses this nutrition-focused intervention model to support individuals with high-risk pregnancies by offering food, nutrition counseling, and resource connection through partnerships when funding is available.
Explore the latest 2024 Healthy Pregnancy Program Evaluation Report and learn more about additional Open Arm nutrition programming today!
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| Open Arms of Minnesota |
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Self-Paced Lactation Counselor Training |
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Are you a nurse, childbirth educator, peer counselor, or any healthcare professional looking to advance your breastfeeding education and clinical knowledge?
The Healthy Children Project, Inc, Center for Breastfeeding is offering a 95-hour, college-level Lactation Counselor Training course that is self-paced, resulting in a National Certification as a Lactation Counselor (CLC) upon completion. This course will equip professionals with practical skills, effective communication strategies, and evidence-based approaches to support breastfeeding success across a variety of clinical and public health settings.
Detailed accreditation information can be found here.
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