Minnesota Agencies

The commissioner of health shall convene a Maternal Mortality Review Committee to conduct maternal death study reviews, make recommendations, and publicly share summary information.

The Minnesota Department of Health has periodically reviewed and studied maternal deaths. Per Minnesota Statute 145.901, subd. 1, “the commissioner of health may conduct maternal death studies to assist the planning, implementation, and evaluation of medical, health, and welfare service systems and to reduce the numbers of preventable maternal deaths in Minnesota,” language which was added to state law in 2001 (see Laws of Minn. 2001, chap. 211, sec. 3). 

The Minnesota Maternal Mortality Review Project was reinstituted in 2012 to review maternal deaths in order to examine the circumstances surrounding maternal deaths, identify risk factors for maternal mortality, and make recommendations and interventions for reducing or eliminating future deaths in women of reproductive age.

The "Minnesota Maternal Mortality Review Committee" again convened in 2019, developing recommendations after reviewing 2017 case narratives.

In 2021 the Legislature added language to Minn. Stat. 145.901 (see subd. 5), explicitly requiring the commissioner of health to "convene a Maternal Mortality Review Committee to conduct maternal death study reviews, make recommendations, and publicly share summary information."

The commissioner shall appoint members to the review committee, and membership may include but is not limited to medical examiners or coroners, representatives of health care institutions that provide care to pregnant women, obstetric and midwifery practitioners, Medicaid representatives, representatives of state agencies, individuals from communities with disparate rates of maternal mortality, and other subject matter experts as appropriate. Committee membership shall not exceed 25 members.

The initial Secretary of State notice seeking applicants for this committee sought individuals from the following communities, professions, and institutions: communities with disparate rates of maternal mortality (2 seats); health care institutions that provide care to pregnant women (1 seat); Medicaid representatives (1 seat); medical examiner or coroner (1 seat); member with interest or experience in maternal health (18 seats); midwifery practitioners (1 seat); and obstetric practitioner (1 seat).