Program Designations
Program Designations encompass all Initiatives and Communities of Learning (COLs) completed through MNPQC. Beginning in 2025, hospital teams will receive a digital and virtual badge, in addition to a completion certificate, upon program completion. Each program topic is selected based on needs identified by birthing facilities across the state and is guided by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Patient Safety Bundles.
The Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) Community of Learning supported hospitals in enhancing care for newborns with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) from August 2024 to March 2025. The program focused on improving parent-infant bonding, reducing pharmacological treatment, shortening hospital stays, and supporting family-centered care. Participating hospitals implemented evidence-based ESC protocols and collaborated with peers statewide to share lessons learned. Early results showed improved coordination across care teams and more consistent use of non-pharmacologic care practices.
Participating Hospitals
- Allina Mercy
- Aspirus St. Luke’s Duluth
- CentraCare St. Cloud
- MHealth Fairview
- North Memorial Health – Maple Grove
- Pipestone County Medical Center
- Sanford Health Worthington Medical Center
- Sanford Medical Center- Thief River Falls
The MOSTaRE Initiative, conducted from September 2021 to September 2023, supported hospitals in improving care for pregnant and postpartum people with substance use disorders by strengthening screening, referral, and care coordination processes. Hospitals developed multidisciplinary teams, implemented universal screening protocols, and built stronger connections to treatment and recovery services. The initiative promoted more consistent, patient-centered care and reduced barriers to accessing timely support.
Participating Hospitals
- Health Partners – Amery Hospital & Clinic
- Astera Health
- Health Partners – Hudson Hospital & Clinic
- Health Partners – Hutchinson Health
- Health Partners – Lakeview Hospital
- Mayo Clinic
- Health Partners – Methodist Hospital
- MHealth Riverside
- Northfield Hospital & Clinic
- North Memorial Health
- Health Partners – Regions Hospital
- Sanford Health Bemidji Medical Center
- Sanford Health Worthington Medical Center
- Aspirus St. Luke’s Duluth
- Health Partners – Westfields Hospital & Clinic
From May to July 2024, the Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Community of Learning offered hospitals a focused opportunity to review their processes, share strategies, and troubleshoot common challenges related to newborn hearing screening follow-up. Through peer learning and coaching, teams worked to improve timely rescreens and strengthen communication between hospital and outpatient providers. Participating hospitals achieved measurable improvements in early follow-up and care coordination.
Participating Hospitals
- Northfield Hospital & Clinic
- Essentia Health – Virginia
- Essentia Health – St. Mary’s Detroit Lakes
- Sanford Health Worthington Medical Center
The Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Initiative, launched in early 2023, aimed to improve the timely diagnosis and intervention for infants with hearing loss in Minnesota. While most infants were screened before one month of age, only 45.8% of those who failed their initial screening in 2020 received diagnostic evaluation by three months, falling short of the national target of 85%. The initiative sought to address this gap by supporting hospitals in implementing evidence-based strategies to enhance screening, diagnosis, and early intervention processes. The initiative fostered collaboration among hospital teams and laid the groundwork for ongoing quality improvement efforts in early hearing detection and intervention.
Participating Hospitals
- Essentia Health – Virginia
- Lake Region Healthcare
- Lakewood Health
- North Memorial Health
- Sanford Health Worthington Medical Center
From September 2021 to August 2023, the Hypertension in Pregnancy Initiative supported hospitals in improving the identification and treatment of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. Early efforts focused on identifying severe hypertension during delivery hospitalization, but teams expanded their work to strengthen postpartum follow-up, discharge education, outpatient medication management, and coordination to avoid unnecessary ED transfers. Hospitals also adopted the Blue Band system to support timely care and reduce delays. The initiative laid the groundwork for improvements in treatment response and more consistent, equitable care among participating sites.
Participating Hospitals
- Astera Health
- Centracare
- MHealth Fairview
- Northfield Hospital & Clinic
- North Memorial Health
- Riverwood Healthcare Center
From December 2019 to October 2020, the Preterm Birth Prevention Initiative aimed to reduce preterm births in Minnesota, particularly among populations disproportionately affected, such as Black and Native American communities. The initiative focused on increasing the appropriate use of 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) through standardized protocols, electronic medical record integration, and provider education. Participating hospitals implemented strategies to identify eligible patients early in pregnancy and streamline 17P administration processes.
Participating Hospitals
- Health Partners – Park Nicollet
- Centracare
- Hennepin Healthcare
- MHealth Fairview
Specialty Designations
Specialty Designations span a wide range of topics, allowing us to highlight specific programs, projects, or national recognitions in perinatal health that are unique to each hospital.
This designation is provided to hospitals that have formally partnered with the Perinatal Quality Collaborative. These facilities engage in collaborative efforts to improve perinatal health outcomes, which includes participation in quality improvement programs with routine submission of data to support statewide learning and monitoring.
This designation recognizes hospitals that meet key CMS requirements tied to perinatal quality and safety standards. These hospitals have demonstrated a commitment to implementing evidence-based practices that promote safe, respectful, and equitable birth experiences.
Facilities with the Naloxone Access Point designation play a key role in expanding access to this life-saving medication, ensuring it is readily available as part of comprehensive perinatal care and overdose prevention efforts.
This designation is given to hospitals actively participating in the Blue Band Project, an initiative that promotes the timely recognition and management of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. By using blue medical alert bands, hospitals enhance care coordination across teams to help prevent severe maternal complications related to hypertension.
Participating Hospitals
- Alomere Health Alexandria
- Aspirus St. Luke’s Duluth
- Astera Health
- CentraCare Health – St. Cloud Hospital
- Essentia Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center
- Health Partners – Hudson Hospital & Clinic
- Health Partners – Lakeview Hospital
- Lakewood Health
- Northfield Hospital & Clinic
- Ridgeview Medical Center
- Sleepy Eye Medical Center