Integrated Care for High Risk Pregnancies (ICHRP)

The Integrated Care for High-Risk Pregnancies (ICHRP) grant program is a low birthweight and preterm birth focused initiative that addresses African American and American Indian pregnancy-related disparities. Community-based organizations in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bemidji areas are using a care-collaborate approach to address adverse health outcomes associated with pregnancy. If you are a Black or Native pregnant person, who is an enrolled Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program) member, ICHRP services are available to you through the initiatives below.

Initiatives
Contact
Background

Initiatives

Research shows a wide range of community-based approaches improve perinatal health outcomes and patient experience for those most at-risk for negative outcomes, especially Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) believes that the communities facing these disparities know the best solutions and what support is needed for their growing families. ICHRP is designed to be community led, with DHS supporting their impacts. ICHRP initiatives working collaboratively to address pregnancy disparities in their communities include Healthy Black Pregnancies, Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming and the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center.

Healthy Black Pregnancies
- About: Parents and families are joining forces with health care navigators to ensure the best start for their babies. Healthy Black Pregnancies connects pregnant African American women with personal care navigators, mom-focused get-togethers, and resources to help them through their pregnancies, so they deliver healthy infants. Care navigators are knowledgeable about the unique experiences of African Americans and the high rates of low birthweight babies born in this community.
- Eligibility: U.S. born, pregnant African Americans who are enrolled in Medical Assistance in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro are eligible for this initiative and can get help by contacting the Dynamic Involved Valued African American (D.I.V.A.) Moms Program at Minnesota Community Care, the Nubian Moms Program, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center Inc, or the African American Babies Coalition at the Wilder Foundation.
- Contacts:
  - Minnesota Community Care
    D.I.V.A. Moms Program
    Kindra McGee, Project Manager
    kmcgee@mncare.org, 651-202-1116 D.I.V.A. Line
  - NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center Inc.
    Ellen Jirik, Project Manager
    Ejirik@npimn.org, 612-767-9155
  - Nubian Moms
    Cianna Cullens, Program Director
    ciana@nubianmoms.com, 651-272-4624
  - Wilder Foundation, AABC – African American Babies Coalition
    Keisha Mitchell, Program Director
    Keisha.Mitchell@wilder.org
Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming
- About: Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming provides Anishinaabe-led maternal child health and family wellness services to community members in northern Minnesota. They are the region’s only Native provider that braids both western and traditional knowledge of health, wellness, and community into practice throughout the holistic health journey of our relatives.
- Eligibility: American Indian birthing persons who are enrolled in Medical Assistance at any time up to 19 weeks gestation. Whether you are a first-time parent, single parent, teen parent, or parent of multiples, Mewinzha is committed to providing you with the highest quality care and support. Sometimes, they may need to coordinate care with other specialists in the area – including both Anishinaabe and Western practitioners.
- Contact: info@mewinzha.com
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
- About: The Minnesota Indian Womens Resource Center (MIWRC) is a non-profit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families. They work with clients and partners to deliver a comprehensive array of services and maintain an extensive referral network to fully meet the needs of the women and families they serve, including family services, affordable housing, chemical dependency, mental health care, cultural resilience and healing, and other family and community issues.
- Eligibility: American Indian birthing persons who are enrolled in Medical Assistance and live in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area are eligible for this initiative.
- Contact: Iktòmi Favel, Director of Traditional Birthwork, IFavel@MIWRC.org
Contact

Contact the following Perinatal program consultants for more information or questions about the Integrated Care for High-Risk Pregnancies program.
- Cara Schnick, Caralyn.Schnick@state.mn.us, 651-431-3624
- Takayla Lightfield, Takayla.Lightfield@state.mn.us, 651-431-2105
Background

Minnesota is among states with the lowest rates for prematurity, low birthweight and infant mortality. However, Minnesota has some of the nation’s highest disparities for these outcomes for African Americans and American Indians, in comparison to white people.

Low birthweight is noted when the weight of a live born infant is less than 2,500 grams (about 5.5 pounds). Low birthweight is often linked to prematurity (babies that are born before 37 weeks gestation) and may also be due to intrauterine growth restriction (babies that are small for their gestational age). Infants with low birthweight are at substantially higher risk of death in their first year (infant mortality).

Birthweight may be influenced by individual and community stressors and receipt of quality prenatal care. Not all the causes of low birthweight are understood, but it is well accepted that addressing the psychosocial needs of families during pregnancy and providing early access to quality prenatal care reduces risk for low birthweight and preterm birth.

In 2015, Minnesota passed legislation to improve birth outcomes for high-risk pregnant people by addressing the two largest risks to healthy births – opioid use and low birthweight. As enacted, the legislation contains specific recommendations about identifying target populations in geographic areas where adverse birth outcomes are highest. For African Americans, the target area is the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area. For American Indians, the target areas are the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area, Bemidji, and the Duluth and Arrowhead area.