What Is Families First?
Heathcare & Support for Expecting Mothers
What is Families First?
Northern Minnesota regional healthcare systems Beltrami County Health Services, Cass Lake Indian Health Services, PrimeWest, Red Lake Indian Health Services, Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Sanford Medical Center Fargo, and Scenic Rivers Health are collaborating to improve access and coordination of care for women during pregnancy.
This initiative, called Families First, addresses challenges that lead to poor pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum outcomes for moms and babies in rural communities. With a specific focus on American Indian women, who experience worse pregnancy and childbirth outcomes than other populations in Minnesota, this program will reduce unacceptable disparities in our communities.
• Home Visiting Nurses
• Transportation
• Virtual Care
What Will Families First Do?
Our partners are working together to break down well known barriers women face during pregnancy with a team approach that unites our programs to coordinate prenatal and postpartum care, community referrals, transportation to appointments, participation incentives, and more.
- Culturally appropriate group prenatal care classes to enhance patient education and support cultural beliefs
- Increased access to specialist care to manage pregnancy complications
- Growing home visiting nursing programs
- Expanding virtual care opportunities to ensure women can receive care where they live
- Developing education programs to improve fast recognition and response to pregnancy emergencies to keep patients safe
- Empowering women by supporting low intervention birth practices
- Honoring cultural beliefs to make deliveries safer
What Will This Accomplish?
By working together to break down the barriers women face during pregnancy and provide individualized patient care, Families First expands and enhances the services currently available which in turn decreases negative patient outcomes, reduces costs, and supports patients so mothers, babies, and their families thrive for the next seven generations.
Vision Statement
Our vision is to provide high quality and culturally related healthcare for moms and their families in Northern Minnesota. We will work within our communities to build trust and make sure the care they deserve and need will be available for the next seven generations.
