This educational sprint aims to support healthcare communities in expanding Naloxone access and distribution within perinatal care settings. It will provide an opportunity to explore strategies, implementation approaches, and policy considerations while fighting stigma and breaking down barriers to access. Through shared learning, discussion, and collaboration, this sprint seeks to identify opportunities and practical steps to further normalize and integrate Naloxone in perinatal care. Overall, this intends to strengthen community-wide overdose prevention efforts in Minnesota.

Mental health conditions and perinatal substance use disorders are among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in Minnesota. By enhancing identification processes and referrals to mental health and substance use care, LINK aims to bridge critical gaps in perinatal care.

This free, monthly virtual series invites healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, social workers, public health agencies, and community organizations across Minnesota to come together in a shared commitment to improving perinatal mental health and substance use outcomes. Through engaging case presentations and interactive discussions, participants will explore practical, evidence-based strategies for identification, referrals, care coordination, and support systems. We’re especially excited to use this space to unpack the newly published task force recommendations and explore actionable steps for bringing them to life in practice. The LINK ECHO Series fosters a collaborative learning environment, breaking down silos, reducing stigma, and promoting equitable, integrated care to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their families.

Details coming soon!

The opioid crisis continues to affect vulnerable populations, including newborns exposed to opioids in utero who often develop Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Traditional treatments rely on medications and prolonged hospital stays, which can be costly and challenging for families. The Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) method offers a compassionate, family-centered alternative that prioritizes non-pharmacological care and addresses newborns’ basic needs. By reducing medication use and improving outcomes, ESC provides a holistic, evidence-based approach to managing NOWS.

The Perinatal Resource Mapping Sprint aims to equip participants with the tools to identify and access key perinatal health resources, support the creation of comprehensive, localized resource lists, and improve care coordination for the populations they serve. This sprint empowers participants to build sustainable, community-driven strategies for equitable perinatal care.

Perinatal substance use and opioid use disorders are the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in Minnesota, posing significant challenges to the health and well-being of pregnant individuals and their infants. By integrating evidence-based AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) bundles, fostering collaboration among hospital teams, and providing learning sessions with content experts, the MOSTaRE initiative achieved a measurable impact.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, affecting 3–11% of all pregnancies, account for 6.3% of maternal deaths in the United States, highlighting a critical need for improved care and prevention. By implementing the Blue Band Program, hospital teams can identify at-risk patients more effectively and adhere to evidence-based care protocols. This Sprint is expected to improve maternal outcomes and advance the prevention and management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Early hearing detection is vital for newborns, as undiagnosed hearing loss can lead to delays in speech, language, vocalization, and social development. In Minnesota, while most infants are screened for hearing loss before one month of age, only 45.8% of those who failed their initial screening in 2020 received a diagnostic evaluation by three months. By addressing gaps in early hearing care, this Community of Learning (COL) aims to increase the timeliness of hearing loss diagnosis and strengthen referral follow-up procedures.

Early hearing detection is vital for newborns, as undiagnosed hearing loss can lead to delays in speech, language, vocalization, and social development. In Minnesota, while most infants are screened for hearing loss before one month of age, only 45.8% of those who failed their initial screening in 2020 received a diagnostic evaluation by three months. By addressing gaps in early hearing care, this initiative aims to increase the timeliness of hearing loss diagnosis and strengthen referral follow-up procedures.

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States, with 15.9% of all pregnancies impacted and nearly 32% of maternal deaths during delivery hospitalizations in 2019 associated with these conditions. This initiative will assess health system barriers, provide education to address provider knowledge gaps and treatment disparities, introduce standardized processes for hypertension treatment, incorporate antiracism practices, and enhance patient education and engagement.

Between 2012-2016, Prematurity was the second leading cause of infant mortality in Minnesota, contributing to 24.7% of all infant deaths. In 2019, 1 in 11 MN babies were born prematurely, with significant disparities for Black (9.7%) and Native American (15.2%) women/birthing people. Furthermore, the average cost of premature birth is staggering. For a baby born to term, the average cost is $4389; for a premature baby, it is 11x more expensive at $54,194.