Maternal and Child Health Assessment 2015
In 2015, the Minnesota Department of Health conducted a Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment for the state of
Minnesota. Under the direction of a community leadership team, this assessment identified nine priorities for improving
the health of mothers, children, adolescents, pregnant women, infants, and children and youth with special health needs.
Working with stakeholders from across Minnesota, the leadership team identified specific areas of focus for each priority,
along with possible measurements, strategies, practices, and action recommendations. We understand that there are some
overlap among the nine priority areas; to avoid duplication, most areas of focus are only identified once, even though they
could be under multiple priorities. (For example, prenatal care is important for both Preventive Health Care and Healthy
Babies, but it is only listed under Healthy and Planned Pregnancy.)
These priority sheets were created to provide data and ideas for community members, policy makers, public health
professionals, and others working towards improving maternal and child health in Minnesota.
Priority: Promote Preventive Health Care
Promoting community health, keeping all women and children healthy through access to prenatal care, well woman
and child visits, screenings, immunizations, and preventative oral health care.
Focus areas:
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Immunizations
Well checkups
Oral health
Screening and follow up
The Maternal Child and Health Assessment Leadership Team identified these specific action recommendations to
improve the health of children, adolescents, children and youth with special health needs, pregnant women and
mothers through preventive health care in Minnesota:
1. Improve access to preventive health care in rural Minnesota and in tribal areas by increasing access to
transportation and quality providers in shortage areas.
2. Establish more integrated care sites, inclusive of services such as, but is not limited to: dental, physical, behavioral
and mental health care.
3. Expand providers’ prescription capability to include alternatives such as cooking and physical activity classes.
4. Promote routine well-woman visits to support the mental and physical health needs of women.
5. Increase developmental and social-emotional screening during well-child visits and appropriate follow-up to
support the developmental, social-emotional and physical health needs of children.
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Immunizations
Objectives:
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Increase the percentage of children aged 19 to 35 months who receive the recommended doses of DTaP, polio,
MMR, Hib, hepatitis B, varicella and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) (HP2020).
Decrease the percentage of children who receive 0 doses of recommended vaccines by age 35 months.
Increase the number of babies with well child visits by 15 months (on track with C&TC by age).
Increase routine vaccination coverage for adolescents.
Chart 1: Percent of children aged 19-35 months receiving recommend vaccinations, 2013
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013.
Measurements/outcomes:
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Percentage of children aged 19 to 35 months who receive the recommended doses of DTaP, polio, MMR, Hib,
hepatitis B, varicella and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (HP2020).
Percent of children 13-17 up to date on recommended vaccines.
Examples of strategies and practices:
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Partner with community members and leaders to address cultural barriers and reinforce importance of
immunization.
Increase awareness and education of immunization among parents, caregivers and children.
Support cultural and community based organizations to improve adult and child immunizations rates in at-risk and
underserved populations.
Family home visiting.
Train providers on communication skills regarding immunization for children of all ages.
Increase adolescent participation in well child checks.
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Well checkups
Access to comprehensive, quality preventive health care services is important for the achievement of health equity and
increasing the quality of a healthy life for everyone.
Objectives: Increase the percentage of children and youth who receive the recommended well child checks.
Chart 2: Children (ages 0-20) Well Child Visit Participation Ratio, Minnesota Health Care Programs - FFY 2014
Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services. CMS-416 Report - FFY 2014. Analyzed February 2015. Participation ratio is the
ratio of how many children are eligible to receive at least one well child visit in the year and how many actually received a visit.
Measurements/outcomes:
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Percent of all children (0-20) with well child visit in past year.
Percent of women with a past year preventive medical visit.
Examples of strategies and practices:
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Improve the curricula taught in medical schools to focus on prevention and importance of culture, diversity and
screenings.
Provide adequate time for provider-patient appointments.
Provide greater support to local public health agencies to perform outreach activities.
Increase access by providing mobile services, alternate care sites (e.g. schools, community centers, churches), and
expanding clinic hours.
Recognize that best practices vary by culture and develop culturally sensitive materials to meet the needs of
various populations.
Increase children’s usage of well child checks.
Improve implementation of well child checks through provider training.
Community health workers providing education and increasing access for families and children.
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Oral Health
Objective: Increase access to dental care, preventative and emergency, for children and youth on MN public plans
(insurance).
Chart 3: Percent of Children Receiving Preventive Dental Care, 2013
Source: MDH Oral Health Data Portal, 2015.
Measurements/outcomes:
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Percent of women who had a dental visit during pregnancy.
Percent of children, ages 1 through 17, who had a preventive dental visit in the past year.
Examples of strategies and practices:
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Expand and increase reimbursement for individuals with Medical Assistance, including addressing policy issues
that excuse dental providers from obligations to serve children enrolled in public health plans.
Provide education to child care providers on oral health and dental screenings.
Establish school-based dental sealant programs.
Provide mobile dental clinics.
Create sustainable, school-based dental sealant programs and/or expanding existing programs to reach children in
high risk areas with a special emphasis on children enrolled in Minnesota public programs, low-income
uninsured, and under-insured.
Screening and Follow up
Objectives:
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Increase the percentage of developmental and social emotional screening among children and adolescents
(C&CT).
Increase percentage of women receiving postpartum depression and anxiety screening from health care
professional
Continue early detection for hearing loss and newborn screening.
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Chart 4: Mental Health Screening Rate for Children 0 to 60 Months who have had at least one
C&CT Visit, 2007-2013
Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services. Analyzed September 2014
Chart 5: Developmental Screening Rate for Children 0 to 60 Months who have had at least one
C&CT Visit, 2007-2013
Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services. Analyzed September 2014.
Measurements/outcomes:
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Percent of children, ages 10 through 71 months, receiving a developmental screening using a parent-completed
screening tool.
Percent of caregivers screened for postpartum depression within a baby well child check.
Percent of babies followed up with a positive screen for hearing loss or genetic screening.
Percent of local public health boards implementing highest levels of Follow Along Standards (for screening and
following children for developmental and social-emotional development).
Examples of strategies and practices:
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Expand Help Me Grow model to increase access to school based screening.
Use of development and social emotional screening instruments for Child and Teen Checkups.
Develop system for screening birth to age 3 with universal access.
Increase community awareness of the importance of screening.
Implement maternal depression screening and referral at well-child checkups.
Promote usage of Child and Teen Checkups through locally run education campaigns for families.
Provide early intervention screening and services in home.
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Preventive Health Care was identified as a priority, in part, because it was an identified priority, focus, or goal of
all of these reports, plans, and organizations:
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Maternal and Child Assessment Inquiry Feedback – MDH
2010 Title V National Performance Measure
2010 Title V State Performance Measure
2015 Title V National Performance Measure
Advancing Health Equity Report – MDH
CDC Healthy People 2020
Children’s Defense Fund – MN
Community Health Boards – MN
Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative – MDH
Healthy MN 2020: Statewide Health Improvement Framework
Hospital Community Health Needs Assessments – MN
Infant Mortality Reduction Plan – MDH
MN Children & Youth With Special Health Needs Strategic Plan 2013-2018
MN Council of Health Plans
MN Statewide Health Assessment 2012
Prenatal to Three Plan – MN
Rural Health Advisory Committee – MDH
Women, Infant and Children – MN
For more information about the 2015 Maternal and Child Health Assessment, or about the Title V Block Grant, please
visit the Minnesota Department of Health webpage at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/na/ .
PO Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164-0882
651-201-3760
[email protected]
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/na/MCHNeedsAssessment.html
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