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November 24, 2025

In The Know

Inside This Edition

Welcome to our Newest Marketing Interns
Listen to Annie’s Story Part 1: A Mother’s Journey From Crisis to Advocacy
TMAH Listening Sessions
MDH’s Sexual Violence Prevention Network (SVPN) E-Newsletter

Welcome to our Newest Marketing Interns

We are beyond excited to welcome Mackenzie and Natalie to our team as Marketing Interns from Eden Prairie High School. They’ll be supporting MNPQC by interviewing, writing, and publishing our Partner Spotlights, as well as creating social media content that uplifts our mission and vision.

Mackenzie Fine

“Hi, my name is Mackenzie Fine, and I’m a senior at Eden Prairie High School in the Senior Intern Program. I am a Marketing Intern here at MNPQC, where I’m excited to build my skills and explore my interests in marketing and healthcare. Next year, I plan to attend college to study Psychology and continue developing my communication and leadership skills.”

Natalie Bowman

“Hello everyone! I’m excited to connect and share a bit about myself. My biggest passions are holistic and women’s health and everything cars! With that, I am on track to earn my CNA in the spring! When I’m not diving into those topics, you can find me crafting, learning, or cherishing quality time spent with my wonderful friends and family. Oh, and I also have a bunny named Bugatti – he’s quite the character!”

Listen to Annie’s Story Part 1: A Mother’s Journey From Crisis to Advocacy

“I am sharing my story with Minnesota PQC to both raise awareness for AFE, which is the condition that I suffered during the birth of my first child, and to also raise awareness about some of the struggles of postpartum, and I want to ensure that when other women going through the types of trials that I endured, that they do not feel alone.”

In March 2020, Annie’s delivery day took a sudden turn when she suffered an Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE), a rare and life-threatening childbirth complication. By bravely sharing her experience, Annie turns survival into advocacy, raising awareness and reminding all mothers that their stories and their strength matter.

Annie also shares her story in a documentary, 24 Days Without You, that is available by request.

Listen to Annie’s Story

TMAH Listening Sessions

The Minnesota Department of Human Services will be hosting another round of Transforming Maternal Health model (TMaH) listening sessions in early December to share model updates, gather feedback on model implementation and draft policies for provider selection and compliance, prepare delivery locations for provider applications, and discuss infrastructure payments and transition to value-based payments.

Please register for the session that aligns closest with your organization and role. DHS will be deidentifying, summarizing, and sharing results back with all participants.

In Hospital Maternal Providers on 12/2 from 12-1 PM

Community & Home Midwives and Birth Center Staff on 12/2 from 2-3 PM

Perinatal Support Service Providers on 12/3 from 2-3 PM

City, County, and State Staff on 12/8 from 1-2 PM

In Hospital Maternal Providers on 12/2 from 12-1 PM

Resources

MDH’s Sexual Violence Prevention Network (SVPN) E-Newsletter

Did you know the Minnesota Department of Health publishes the Sexual Violence Prevention Network newsletter? Each edition includes national and statewide resources, data, events, and opportunities related to violence prevention. In their newest edition, MDH highlights that domestic violence is a significant public health issue in Minnesota. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey from 2016/2017, 39.6% of women and 35.8% of men in Minnesota experienced physical violence, rape, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
Learn More

Birth Justice Collaborative

The Birth Justice Collaborative was launched in 2022, when four African American and American Indian led organizations partnered with Hennepin County to co-designing strategies to improve birth outcomes for their communities. They are now using that knowledge and wisdom to acknowledge and address the impacts of racism, advocate for and radically reform policy and payment, expand culturally meaningful workforce pathways, advance and expand anti-bias accountability programs, and invest in a network of trusted cultural providers and resources.
Learn More