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Child and Family Health e-Update |
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January 2025
Update from the director
Happy New Year! I wish all of you all the best in 2025 and may we together weather the changes that are sure to come. Again, I don't feel like I have a ton to share given the holidays, but here are a few items of note:
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There are a couple of farewells this month, neither that we love, but we still wish folks the best. Shawn and Victoria along with their program, Help Me Connect, are making their way to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families on Jan. 29. We bid them adieu with the commitment that we will continue to work together, and we will continue to be their HEALTH friends and collaborators.
- Kathy Wick is retiring at the end of the month. Her retirement celebration is on Jan. 30. See more information below.
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In partnership with the BUILD Initiative, the Interagency Leadership Team is launching the second cohort of the Minnesota Leaders Action Network fellowship. This 18-month fellowship supports leaders at all levels working in state government within early childhood systems to advance policies, practices, programs, and initiatives that intentionally redress marginalization and tailor practices to benefit eligible populations. The Minnesota Leaders Action Network application must be completed 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. The video response to application questions, as well as a letter of support from your supervisor must be uploaded separately through a Leadership Action Network Microsoft Forms link. If you have questions about this opportunity please reach out to me directly. We have a "soft" reservation of four slots for us in this group so please, if at all interested (and able), look to apply to be part of this opportunity.
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Legislative session has officially started. However, the House is not operating officially so there is not a whole lot happening yet, at least that which impacts us. Stay tuned - it changes daily.
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Strategic Planning - we have been on a holiday pause. I reached out to Sherri and Carey today to get things moving for 2025 with a goal of completing the plan by May/June of this year.
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Reminder: Monthly "Time with Noya" is the first Tuesday of every month at 9 a.m. You can submit questions ahead of time.
Stay warm everyone and for those of you enjoy the cold - ENJOY!!
Kathy Wick retires
Join in the retirement celebration for Kathy Wick on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 2 – 4 p.m. in Freeman room B144-145. There will be a short program at 3 p.m.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wis., Kathy Wick was raised by a single mom with her four siblings, living in federal low-income housing, but excelled at school, 4-H, and band which earned her a scholarship to St. Olaf College.
Kathy graduated with a bachelor of science degree in nursing, and began her career in CCU/ICU units of hospitals, eventually moving on to an advanced nurse practice role with a group of endocrinologists as a diabetes educator and clinician. Kathy’s career took many twists and turns, from working as a nurse paralegal on medical malpractice cases, to joining the Navy Nurse Reserve Corp and serving in the Gulf War before shifting to local public health roles for Dakota County. Kathy worked as a nurse making home visits to becoming the public health nurse supervisor, overseeing everything from waivers, to jail health, disease prevention and control to emergency preparedness developing mass clinic plans for small pox vaccinations.
Kathy then began her career at MDH in 2011 as a supervisor in Child and Family Health, only to transition back to Hennepin County as the adolescent health manager, before settling back in at MDH as our assistant division director.
As Kathy reflected about her 44-year long career and her move back to MDH, she shared “I found the most wonderful, dedicated group of colleagues who share their passion for improving the health of all Minnesotans. Being assistant division director allowed me to solve all kinds of problems, manage big budgets, complain about the legislative session, and mostly advocate for Child and Family Health Division and MDH.”
Kathy’s next chapter involves solving a different set of problems, like how do you get through the Rockies pulling a trailer to see your grandchildren in LA, in the winter? Should we do the Rhone River cruise or the Rhine River cruise? Which perennials grow best in rocky soil under a deck?
CFH wishes Kathy all the best as she sails into retirement! Thank you for your years of dedicated service.
Charting the Life Course training available: limited spots
The Institute on Community Integration (ICI) is offering free Charting the Life Course (CtLC) Ambassador training for State of Minnesota employees, including CFH staff. This virtual training runs from February to May 2025, with seven 90-minute sessions. MDH has up to two spots available to join colleagues from ICI, DHS, VRS, and MDE. CtLC is a framework designed to help individuals and families of all abilities envision a good life and navigate life transitions using practical tools and strategies.
This is a unique opportunity to build expertise in a framework adopted statewide to foster person-centered support. As a CtLC ambassador, you’ll integrate the framework into programs and serve as a valuable resource for colleagues. For more details or to sign up, contact Lynda Lahti Anderson at lla@umn.edu.
The health equity spotlight aims to highlight the division’s equity initiatives, strategies, and resources in each monthly CFH e-Update, with the goal to create purposeful alignment and promote synergy in the work CFH staff are doing to advance health equity – EVERYONE is integral to this work.
Health equity events, activities, and trainings
Thursday, March 6, 1 – 4 p.m. Championing health equity through cinema and knowledge (CHECK) film screening and discussion. Djakamirr: Caretaker of pregnancy and birth. Learn about this and other proposed films.
Tuesday, March 11, 9 – 10:30 a.m. at the Dept. of Revenue (600 N. Robert Street, St Paul, room 2000): Community co-design training by Jess Roberts, of ByDesign. (Division staff meeting will follow at 10:45 a.m.) View the event flyer for more details.
Tuesday, April 15 – Thursday, April 17, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Carondelet Event Center: Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter workshop. Register by March 15. Please discuss this time commitment with your supervisor before registering.
Spotlight: Martin Luther King, Jr.
In a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s accomplishments, a federal holiday was established on Nov. 2, 1983, and was first generally observed three years later on Jan. 29, 1986. Today, we recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January a federal holiday. Read more about Dr. King in the CFH health equity stories SharePoint webpage.
Black History Month
February is Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, and a time to celebrate and honor the contributions, achievements, and history of Black individuals and communities. Black History Month provides an opportunity to engage in meaningful learning and discussion about racial equity, inclusion, and justice, both historically and in today’s context. It’s time to reflect on the progress made and to continue the work toward a more just and equitable society.
Some resources for Black History Month:
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Penumbra Theatre - Minnesota's only Black professional theatre company in St. Paul
Connect with CFH’s Health Equity Strategist Pakou Xiong or any member of the equity operations workgroup if you have questions, would like to provide input, or want to learn more about health equity opportunities.
CFH e-Update newsletter survey
As part of our division’s strategic plan process, the communications staff would like your input on CFH’s monthly staff newsletter. Please take a minute to share how this communication tool can work better for you.
Avoid acronyms and abbreviations
We all know and use a lot of acronyms and abbreviations. Whether to describe a grant program, reference a project, or share an internal process, acronyms and abbreviations can be habit-forming. For new employees and our local partners, these letter combinations can be overwhelming and confusing.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) uses a writing style guide to ensure communication is clear, consistent, and professional. The guide is built from the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook and plain language rules. The plain language preference is to paraphrase information and not use an acronym.
Abbreviations or acronyms that a reader would not quickly recognize should be avoided. In other words, acronyms should not be used solely to save words. AP style notes that a few universally recognized abbreviations are acceptable (FBI, IRS, NASA, NATO, COVID).
If you must use acronyms or abbreviations, spell out the full name on first reference followed by the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses. Use the acronym or abbreviation on subsequent references.
If you have question, reach out to any communications staff for support.
Did you know there are WORD templates for agendas and minutes?
It can be time consuming to make new WORD documents accessible, but also old agendas and minutes documents that have been reused for years. Luckily, MDH has accessible WORD templates for many common business needs. As a reminder, a table for an agenda is no longer a best practice. Make a resolution to download fresh agenda and minute templates for 2025!
Making sure your message is heard and understood
You are invited to the next MDH Health Communicators session, “Making sure your message is heard and understood.” The virtual session will be 10 - 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
In this session, members of the Hennepin County Public Health communications team will demonstrate tools they use – in each stage of the communications lifecycle – to ensure messages are heard, understood, and impactful.
Subscribers to the Health Communicators Update receive invitations for these events. If you did not receive an invitation but would like to attend, please email health.communications@state.mn.us
Changes to HR data
Questions regarding changes to HR data should be directed to our MDH HR specialists and payroll specialists. If you are unsure and have spoken to your supervisor, you can send email to health.hr@state.mn.us
Cafeteria options while at Freeman building
The Centennial Café is open 7 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Mon. through Thurs., and 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Fridays. Daily offerings mentioned here at Fresh Seasons cafeteria webpage for menus and other information. The café is located on first floor of the Centennial Building, between the Freeman and Centennial buildings. Easiest access point is through the main floor of Centennial parking ramp (green level) to avoid weather.
2025 space modernization for CFH
Space modernization in the Freeman building is underway. This process consists of upgrading flooring, paint, and new systems furniture. Staff should telework during construction.
The tentative schedule is to have all staff moved out of 2C by 3/5/2025, which means all cubicles and designated offices, cabinets, etc., need to be moved for this construction.
Help is needed to clear out cabinets and box them temporarily until we move back into our new space in 2C. View the 2C Floor Plan with the unit cubicle locations. This is a time to throw things out, send things to MINNCOR, and/or destroy or retain records as appropriate. There will be staging areas set up: surplus items that are not needed, records retention, MINNCOR.
Contact Cammie Wadman Baca with your specific questions or visit the space modernization SharePoint webpage for more information.
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Staff updates
Grace Marohn is a new student worker in the Systems Transformation unit. Currently pursuing a graduate degree in clinical social work at St. Mary's University of Minnesota, Grace brings a diverse professional background with experience in special education, supported employment, direct support, and early childhood. She is passionate about fostering inclusive environments, applying person-centered thinking, and empowering individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. Outside of work, Grace enjoys camping, road trips, sipping iced coffee, painting, and spending time with her dog, Pumpkin.
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Updated manual for CYSHN condition follow-up local public health staff
The CYSHN section has updated its local public health manual. The manual is used by LPH contacts who provide follow-up for children with conditions tracked by CYSHN programs (Birth Defects, EHDI, Heritable Conditions/cCMV). Content in the manual has been reorganized and edited for clarity. However, the expectations of LPH practice are unchanged and reflect current grant agreements.
Thank you to the many subject matter experts in CYSHN and the public health lab for their assistance in updating the manual. If you have any questions about the manual, please reach out to the Outreach and Prevention Nurse Consultant Dana Janowiak at dana.janowiak@state.mn.us.
Congenital situs inversus during the COVID-19 pandemic
Results from a special data call by CDC were recently published in the Birth Defects Research Journal, “Observed prevalence of congenital situs inversus in the United States before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, 2017-2022.”
In the spring of 2024, Birth Defects Monitoring and Analysis staff at MDH were asked to help explore the relationship between congenital situs inversus and the COVID-19 pandemic. The team on this project was led by Sook Ja Cho and Michele Hort, with assistance from Jasmin Wenigha and Kristie Davis (abstractor for Mayo Health System). They, along with programs in MA, NC, and GA, identified children born between 2017 and 2022 with situs inversus. They found no increase in situs inversus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2025 trainings announced
The next Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) foundation training will be March 10-14, in St. Paul. Additional 2025 foundations training dates for 2025 are July 14-18 and October 6-10, both will be in St. Paul.
MDH-hosted MECSH refresher training opportunities will be offered twice in 2025:
- May 6 -7 – at Morrison County Government Center Little Falls
- Nov. 18-19 – at Rice County Public Health in Faribault
PICCOLO, which stands for Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes, training registration for 2025 were released. Visit training and professional development webpage to register. The following are the dates and locations for 2025 that have openings remaining:
- March 5 – Pine County government Center, Sandstone, MN
- Sept. 17 – Otter Tail County Government Service Center, Fergus Falls, MN
- Dec. 10 – Dakota County Northern Service Center, West Saint Paul, MN
MECSH community of practice dates are the following:
- General MECSH community of practice: Feb. 4, April 8, June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14, Dec. 9
- Supervisor community of practice: March 4, June 3, Sept. 9, Dec. 2
Tuesday Topics
If you would like to receive weekly updates about family home visiting, you can subscribe to Tuesday Topics e-bulletin. The purpose of Tuesday Topics is to communicate with home visiting staff who are funded by MDH FHV grants, including home visitors, supervisors, and support staff. Anyone can sign up to receive Tuesday Topics, however the primary audience is family home visiting staff.
Staff updates
Youa Vang started Jan. 14 and will be working with the MCH assistant section manager and MN PRAMS. Youa recently graduated with a master of public health in maternal and child health at the University of Minnesota. During her time as a graduate student, she worked in three different units at the Minnesota Department of Health. Her public health interests are perinatal health, reproductive rights, and child health. Youa’s goal this year is to complete her certificate as an oncology data specialist and hopefully serve in health agencies and clinical settings as a data specialist. Fun Fact: Youa loves to draw and actually started her undergrad career as a fine arts major!
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Olivia Burns was promoted to a new role as an infant health planner. Olivia has been a student worker with MDH for over a year and has made contributions to PRAMS efforts as well as work within the Infant and Child Health unit. She will provide grant oversight with our Infant Health and Mortality Prevention grantees and provide technical assistance, training, and evaluation support.
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a surveillance project conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Reproductive Health in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The PRAMS survey asks new moms about maternal behaviors, attitudes, and experiences before, during, and shortly after their pregnancies. Minnesota PRAMS will be implementing a cannabis supplemental questionnaire on April 1 along with the revised PRAMS Phase 9.1 survey. While cannabis is now legal for adults, its potential risks for pregnant women and their infants remain a public health concern. The cannabis supplemental questionnaire will capture data on its use before, during, and shortly after pregnancy and will provide essential insights into this emerging issue and help inform targeted interventions to protect maternal and infant health.
Lastly, the PRAMS automated research file restricted access data web portal launched on Jan. 22. Read about this new process for researchers requesting access to PRAMS data.
Planning started for 2025 Statewide Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Week
Young people in Minnesota disproportionately experience sexually transmitted infections. According to the 2023 sexually transmitted infections statistics, 59% of the chlamydia cases occurred in teens and young adults ages 15 to 24. For many years, a collaborative group has worked to decrease the incidence of sexually transmitted infections through promoting prevention and testing, as well as to heighten awareness of sexually transmitted infections and related cancers in Minnesota. The event organizes providers of low cost or no cost sexually transmitted infection testing across the state to plan and promote testing events
Planning has started for the 2025 week, which is slated to occur after the release of the 2024 sexually transmitted infection statistics. This effort is led by the MDH - Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Annex Teen Clinic. If you would like to join or support the planning group, please contact SRHS.MDH@state.mn.us.
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Committee to develop Minnesota’s first health education standards
The 2024 Minnesota legislative session made changes to state statutes that directly impact K–12 public health education. During the 2024–25 school year, the Minnesota Department of Education is facilitating the creation of the Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Health with input from the Minnesota Departments of Health and Human Services. Review the process and statutory requirements.
The Health Education Standards committee is made up of adult and student members who were selected via an application process. State agency staff are not considered members of the committee but help facilitate subgroups and provide technical assistance and subject matter expertise when appropriate. They are also responsible for providing updates to MDH leadership and stakeholders about this process.
The following MDH staff are participating, including two from CFH:
- Jennifer Marshall, school-based health centers program manager, CFH
- Ellen Saliares, sexual and reproductive health services grant manager, CFH
- Julia Tindell, sexual violence prevention program director, IVP
- Lil Pinero, youth substance misuse prevention coordinator, IVP
- Cherylee Sherry, population health systems manager, OSHII, HPCD
The committee will meet nine times between January and June 2025. There will be two opportunities for public comment in the coming months, which will be shared with the division to encourage sharing the opportunity with community partners.
Please contact Ellen Saliares at ellen.saliares@state.mn.us with questions or if you are interested in attending any of the committee meetings.
Transforming Maternal Health Model award
Minnesota was recently selected as one of 15 states to participate in the Transforming Maternal Health Model by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. This is a 10-year grant to boost state Medicaid agency efforts to improve maternal health in the United States. The three main pillars of the model are to improve access to care, infrastructure, and workforce capacity, including doulas or community health workers, improve quality improvement and safety, and integrate a more whole-person care delivery approach. Staff members from the MCH section will be partnering with the Department of Human Services throughout the grant period to help implement aspects of the model. For more information, visit Transforming Maternal Health Model webpage.
Maternal Health Awareness Day
Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Jan. 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day. View the proclamation.
National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference – April 7-9
Registration is open for the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference hosted by Arizona State University to further awareness of the impact of incarceration on children and families and to increase community response and healing. The conference is available to attend in-person with options for virtual attendance as well. Register and view conference information.
Changing perceptions of homelessness
Filming is complete from the new MDH studio for a new video from Child and Teen Checkup to explain what health care providers all can do to make a medical appointment easier for someone facing homelessness.
 Photo: front row, left to right: Jacinta Moss and Marlena Jasch, consultants. Back row: Karen Loewenson (CFH child health consultant), Josh Leopold (IDEPC), and Kathy Moore (CFH communications coordinator).
MN WIC App modernization
The MN WIC program is modernizing its WIC app to enhance functionality and user experience. The new Minnesota WIC app will introduce various features, including:
- The ability to switch between English and Spanish.
- Improved tools for participants to locate WIC-authorized vendors by sorting through stores and pharmacies.
- A feature to view participant certifications.
- And much more to improve the participant experience.
The app is scheduled for release to participants early this year.
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Random acts of kindness event
Everyone knows that February 17 is Presidents’ Day, but did you know that it is also National Random Acts of Kindness Day? Acts of kindness are powerful – they make people feel good, boosts serotonin levels and improve our overall well-being. Kindness brings people together, creating connections and a sense of community and a reminder that we’re not alone. Any act you do without motivation that stimulates joy is a random act of kindness.
In recognition of the kindness that we all deserve, the Collaboration and Connection workgroup encourages you to set time to reflect on the acts of kindness that you’ve given or received recently. Block off time on Monday, Feb. 17 from 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. to think about a simple act of kindness that you can do for yourself or someone else. Let’s come together and embrace the joy that kindness brings!
Birthdays and anniversaries for February
Birthdays
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First Name
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Last Name
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Unit
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Birthday
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Sue
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Ewy
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FHV
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1-Feb
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Emma
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Missling
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MCH
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1-Feb
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Joni
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Geppert
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WIC
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6-Feb
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Sierra
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Hill
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WIH
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10-Feb
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Teresa
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Laing
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MCH
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13-Feb
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Sarah
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Dunne
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CYSHN
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13-Feb
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Kaitlyn
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Traub
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MCH
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14-Feb
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Chandra
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Bittmann
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FHV
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19-Feb
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Kathy
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Wick
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DO
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27-Feb
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Anniversaries
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First Name
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Last Name
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Unit
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MDH Anniversary
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State Anniversary
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Service years
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Jen
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Harvey
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MCH
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2/8/2023
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2
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Karen
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Loewenson
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MCH
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2/12/2024
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1
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Molly
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Meyer
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DO
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2/18/2015
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10/24/2012
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12
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Jacki
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Trelawny
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CAH
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2/19/2023
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2
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Rebecca
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Paulson
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FHV
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2/21/2023
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2
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Jessie
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Zins
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WIC
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2/21/2018
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7
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Cora
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Vavra
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FHV
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2/22/2022
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3
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If we missed your birthday or service anniversary, please add it to the Employee birthday/work anniversary list on SharePoint.
CFH division calendar
To add a meeting from the CFH division calendar to your personal calendar, click on the division calendar event and when the event details are open, select the ‘copy to my calendar’ option from the top of the ribbon toolbar. Another option to try is ‘forward meeting’. If you experience issues with sharing or forwarding meetings from the CFH division calendar, submit a MNIT service ticket.
Find the CFH division calendar within Outlook: MN_MDH.cfh.calendar.
CFH organization chart
The CFH organization chart is now updated quarterly. Contact Maria Rogness with any edits by Friday, March 21.
CFH e-Update
If you have information to announce in the Child and Family Health e-Update, please send it to your section communications coordinator.
You can find previous CFH e-Updates in the CFH SharePoint library.
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Child and Family Health (CFH) Division
The Division of Child and Family Health (CFH) provides collaborative public health leadership that supports and strengthens systems to ensure healthy families and communities.
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