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Innovations for Maternal Health Outcomes in Minnesota (I-MOM) |
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June 2024
Greetings from the Innovations in Maternal Outcomes in Minnesota (I-MOM) team! We are thrilled to welcome you to our June newsletter. Whether you're joining us for the first time or have been with us for a while, we're delighted to have you onboard. In this edition, we will be sharing program updates, resources and reports, upcoming engagement opportunities, and information about perinatal health.
I-MOM background/purpose
The I-MOM (Innovations for Maternal Health Outcomes in Minnesota) program is a 5-year grant, funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The vision of I-MOM is to align and strengthen the implementation of innovative, data-driven, community-informed and supported perinatal health programs to improve outcomes for communities experiencing the highest rates of disparities (Black, American Indian, other populations of color, new immigrants, refugees, and rural).
The program has 3 main goals: 1) Build a shared vision for perinatal health, 2) Improve data access and expand surveillance, and 3) Improve the collection, reporting and analysis of AIM data.
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Maternal and Child Health Systems Manager
Ashley Johnson is the maternal and child health systems manager within Hennepin County Public Health Department. She currently leads the maternal health initiative and birth justice work providing program management for programs within the family health area. Ashley calls Minneapolis home, but is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ashley earned bachelor's degree in gender and women’s studies and a master in public policy. Working in maternal and child health is both personal and professional for Ashley. She has always had an interest in both the programs and services that support the most vulnerable in society, as well as the policies and institutions that set the stage for health, wellbeing, and economic outlook. Ashley gained her first experiences at the intersections of health and public policy via an internship with Planned Parenthood and with a Wisconsin state legislator. Fast forward to now, Ashley is honored and humbled to be a part of the changes needed to realize the dignity, joy, cultural values, positive outcomes, and experiences all people growing their families deserve. Ashley views her life’s work as a public servant helping to improve the lives of women, children, and families, especially people of color.
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Perinatal sub-committee updates
The first goal of the I-MOM program is to build a shared vision for perinatal health by bringing together communities to create alignment among goals, priorities, and actions.
Through this goal, the perinatal sub-committee (PSC) was created as a sub-group of the maternal and child health advisory task force in January 2023. The PSC is a multidisciplinary, diverse, and community-led committee that is building a shared vision for perinatal health.
During the last quarter, the PSC created a strategic plan and will be seeking community feedback throughout the summer through a general survey, PSC-led conversations, and discussions with community-based organizations. The PSC has spent several meetings editing questions to solicit feedback and ensuring that this community engagement model is intentional and not burdensome to community members. Once the feedback is collected, the strategic plan will be finalized.
The PSC co-chairs and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) staff presented a poster focused on partnership building through the PSC at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) annual conference.
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Data updates
The second goal of the I-MOM program is to increase timely, high-quality state perinatal health data to support surveillance and inform the development of innovative perinatal health programs.
In late March 2024, MDH released The Health of American Indian Families in Minnesota: A Data Book (PDF) which was written by staff in the maternal and child health section. For the remainder of year two, the I-MOM data team will continue to plan and develop a public-facing perinatal health dashboard for the MDH website and will soon begin a critical data linkage that will allow for the sharing of more thorough and informative maternal health data. The team will continue to provide data support to the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MNPQC) as needed.
AIM program updates
The third goal of the I-MOM program is to identify and implement AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) bundles and provide training to support quality improvement initiatives designed to improve perinatal health outcomes.
The MNPQC’s first cohort of hospital teams are in a maintenance period of the AIM bundle focused on the care for pregnant and postpartum people with substance use disorder. The MNPQC will maintain ongoing technical assistance by offering interactive team opportunities with twelve hospital teams from six health systems throughout the state.
Learnings from MNPQC-led initiatives demonstrated the need for smaller and more focused quality improvement initiatives. As a next step, MNPQC will lead two community of learnings to offer interested hospital teams the opportunity to expand practices on nonpharmacologic methods (primarily eat, sleep, and console) for infants exposed to opioids in utero and develop and improve plans of safe care for families affected by substance use disorder. Stay informed on MNPQC programs and partner events by visiting the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative website.
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This section highlights perinatal health-related resources and reports. You can also find a list of books and documentaries that cover topics related to health equity and reproductive justice. Please feel free to share these resources with your network.
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Hear Her Campaign
MDH recently launched the Hear Her campaign in Minnesota. This campaign encourages both providers and loved ones to listen to people who are pregnant or recently gave birth. Maternal warning signs can lead to pregnancy-related complications and death if concerns are not taken seriously.
Reading list
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Untangling the Maternity Crisis (2018) by Nadine Edwards, Rosemary Mander, Jo Murphy-Lawless
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Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America (2019)
by Monique Rainford, MD
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Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America (2019) by Laurie Kaye Abraham
Documentaries
Aftershock by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
Following the deaths of two young women due to childbirth complications, two bereaved families galvanize activists, birth workers, and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises today: the U.S. maternal health crisis. Aftershock introduces a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians fighting for institutional reform.
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This section highlights upcoming health-related webinars, conferences, and awareness days/months. These events are meant to share opportunities, raise awareness, and promote advocacy. Please feel free to share these resources with your network.
Conferences/trainings
2024 Joint Perinatal Improvement Summit: Oct. 22-23
The 2024 Joint Perinatal Improvement Summit, hosted by the Minnesota Hospital Association, the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and Hennepin Healthcare, will provide an “all teach, all learn” opportunity for education, resources, and expertise sharing with a space to make connections across disciplines, hospitals and statewide geography as we work to improve perinatal health outcomes and experiences for our MN families. Register before July 26 to save.
Awareness weeks/months
June
Posttraumatic stress disorder awareness month
There are currently about 12 million people in the United States with Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even though PTSD treatments work, most people who have PTSD don't get the help they need. June is PTSD Awareness Month. Help us spread the word that effective PTSD treatments are available.
July
National cleft and craniofacial awareness and prevention month (NCCAPM)
Cleft and craniofacial conditions affect thousands of infants, children, teens, and adults in the United States each year. To learn more about these conditions, including treatment options and support networks in your area, contact these participating NCCAPM organizations.
August
National immunization awareness month
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of routine vaccination for people of all ages.
National breastfeeding month
In recognition of National Breastfeeding Month (NBM), each August, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosts a social media advocacy and outreach campaign inviting member organizations, breastfeeding coalitions, partner organizations, and individuals to participate in online action and conversation about the policy and practice changes needed to build a landscape of support for babies and families.
Children’s eye health and safety month
August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Help raise awareness of children’s vision and eye health as kids head back to school. The key message is that healthy vision contributes to children’s school readiness, ability to learn, overall healthy development and ability to reach motor developmental milestones and that vision screening and eye care are essential components of a strong vision health system of care.
Resources for Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
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Funder information
This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a 5-year grant cycle expected with a total of $5,000,000. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
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