About Us
Supporting the delivery of person-centered care is a priority of the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative and this includes using inclusive language whenever possible. We recognize that not all birthing people identify as women or mothers and that both personal and cultural factors will influence a patient’s identity and communication preferences. We unequivocally support any individual’s right to self-determination with respect to their identity and believe these communication preferences should be honored.
Our aim is to use inclusive, person-centered language in our documents, while acknowledging that the rich diversity of the communities we serve makes it challenging to capture the nuance of every individual’s chosen identity. As such, where conventional language is used for simplicity and consistency, it is not meant to negate the experiences of people who do not identify with that language.
There are places in our documents where we use standard clinical language that is meant to capture specific health outcomes, which impacts public health and policy options related to pregnancy and birth. Examples of this are “maternal morbidity and mortality” and “maternal-infant dyad”. We recognize the shortcomings of this language but believe it does serve a purpose in the public health and policy sphere.
Lastly, we acknowledge that inclusive language is constantly evolving and are committed to periodically reevaluating the language we employ in our work and advocating for more person-centered language among the larger healthcare community.
MNPQC Program Advisory Committee
The MNPQC Program Advisory Committee consists of representatives from healthcare organizations, professional leadership, and community stakeholders. Together they review current data, trends, and research on best practices to inform quality improvement initiatives. One of their key functions is promotion and support of quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing inequities. The Program Advisory Committee serves as a bi-directional communication source between the MNPQC and organizations around the state.
Perinatal Equity Advisory Committee
The MNPQC Equity Advisory Committee works closely with the Steering Committee to improve perinatal health by promoting community engagement. Members of the MNPQC Equity Advisory Committee will regularly meet with the initiative workgroups to provide guidance and support, helping to develop curriculum and education around racism, implicit bias, and accurate data collection.
