Enhancing Maternal Health in Rural Minnesota

Healthy babies and healthy mothers are the foundation to healthy families.

What is Families First?

Families First is a collaborative effort among Northern Minnesota's healthcare systems, addressing pregnancy care challenges in rural communities, with a specific emphasis on American Indian women. Services include culturally sensitive prenatal classes, specialist care access, home visiting nurse programs, virtual care expansion, and transportation assistance. The program prioritizes emergency response improvement, empowers women with low-intervention births, and respects cultural beliefs, breaking barriers and reducing costs to ensure healthier futures for mothers, babies, and their families across generations.

Read More About Families First

How We Plan To Serve Expecting Mothers & Families

OB-Care-Coordinator-Service-Icon

OB Care
Coordination

View Details

OB Care Coordination: OB Care Coordinators are available to help patients with a variety of needs. Care Coordinators are familiar with community resources including transportation, housing, healthy food options, postpartum depression, and other local services. For patients that receive prenatal care at one facility but deliver at a different facility, OB Care Coordinators help ensure the transfer of care is timely and goes smoothly. Additionally, they can provide a range of pregnancy-related education including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention education, car seat safety education, and breastfeeding support.

Transportation-Assistance-Program-Service-Icon

Transportation
Assistance

View Details

Coming Soon - Transportation Assistance: Transportation services will be free and help patients access essential medical appointments. Families First will assist patients to leverage their benefits and empowers them to arrange rides with family members and receive mileage reimbursement.

Family-Home-Visiting-Program-Service-Icon

Family Home
Visiting

View Details

Family Home Visiting: Nurses, Community Health Workers, and/or Social Workers meet with families in their homes or other safe locations of their choice to provide education, support and referrals to pregnant women and families with children birth to age three.

Labor-and-Dlivery-Program-Service-Icon

Pregnancy Care
& Education

View Details

Pregnancy Care & Education: Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care.

Doctors can spot health problems early when they see mothers regularly. This allows doctors to treat them early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others. Doctors also can talk to pregnant women about things they can do to give their unborn babies a healthy start to life.

Materna-and-Child-Health-Program-Service-Icon

Virtual Care
Options

View Details

Virtual Care: Our virtual care options give you convenient access to care from the comfort of your home or while you’re on the go.

Other-Support-Program-Service-Icon

other support
services

View Details

Other Supportive Services: Other support services include quitting commercial tobacco use, treating substance use disorder, labor classes, housing assistance, cultural knowledge, mental health services, food assistance, and more for families facing various social challenges.

Looking For More Assistance?

Review and fill out our referral form for a location nearest you.

Patient Referral Form