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June 9, 2025

In The Know

Inside This Edition

Partner Spotlight: Donyella Smith from AABC with the Wilder Foundation
2024 Kunsche Award Winner: Shukri Jamale
Obstetric Hemorrhage Community of Learning: Now Enrolling Interested Hospitals
MNPQC at the Minnesota Rural Health Conference
Pregnancy and Substance Use: A Survey of Real Experiences
Resources

Partner Spotlight: Donyella Smith from AABC with the Wilder Foundation

Donyella is the Family Spirit Home Visiting Supervisor and Health Educator, working on multiple grants for the African American Babies Coalition and Projects. Her work centers on addressing family disparities and improving outcomes for families, particularly Black and Indigenous communities. Wilder African American Babies Coalition and Project Family Home Visiting is a home visiting program designed specifically for Indigenous families.

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2024 Kunsche Award Winner: Shukri Jamale

Congratulations to Shukri Jamale! Shukri is an exceptional healthcare leader with over 17 years of experience supporting families through high-risk pregnancies and beyond. From bedside care to advocacy, she has dedicated her career to centering families, advancing equity, and creating inclusive systems in perinatal care. We’re also proud to recognize the 2024 Kunsche Award’s Honorable Mentions – Dr. Jessica Nyholm, Dr. Bethany Sabol, and Mallory Cummings – for their outstanding leadership in perinatal health.

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Obstetric Hemorrhage Community of Learning: Now Enrolling Interested Hospitals

Obstetric hemorrhage remains a leading cause of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Timely recognition and response are critical to saving lives and improving maternal outcomes. Guided by the AIM Obstetric Hemorrhage Patient Safety Bundle, this Obstetric Hemorrhage Community of Learning, starting from September 2025 to April 2026, is tailored to meet the varying needs of Minnesota’s rural, urban, and suburban communities. This program was designed with equity in mind, recognizing that resources, staffing, and access vary across the state.  Reach out to ella.rusnacko@minnesotaperinatal.org

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MNPQC at the Minnesota Rural Health Conference

Are you attending the Minnesota Rural Health Conference in Duluth on June 9-10? If so, stop by MNPQC’s table and say hi! The Minnesota Rural Health Conference — hosted by the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, the Minnesota Rural Health Association, and the National Rural Health Resource Center — annually seeks to support, connect and inspire rural health professionals and leaders from across the state as they work toward the goal of building healthy communities.

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Pregnancy and Substance Use: A Survey of Real Experiences

MNPQC is currently collecting Postpartum Patient Experience Surveys on Navigating Perinatal Healthcare with Substance Use Disorder in Minnesota. We seek responses from individuals who have been pregnant in the past 5 years while using drugs or alcohol, though those who did not are also welcome. The anonymous survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete, and participants can receive a $20 gift card. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.

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Resources

Wilder AABC Home Visiting Program

They are now recruiting families for the FREE Family Spirit Home Visiting Program. This program provides home visits / hybrid telehealth services from our certified health educators. This program is available to Black and Native expectant mothers and parenting families in Ramsey County with children under the age of one.
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Fatherhood Resources

As Father’s Day approaches, we celebrate the important role of fathers and father figures. Explore MNPQC’s Fatherhood page to find local and national resources designed to support, uplift, and empower dads and their families.
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