Winners will be announced at the gala on February 23, 2017
The Newborn Foundation has been named by Minnesota Business Magazine as a finalist for the 2017 Community Impact Awards.
The Newborn Foundation is among three finalists in the Nonprofit Spotlight category and will be recognized at the Community Impact Awards gala on Thursday,February 23, 2017, at Aria, in Minneapolis. The awards honor businesses, social enterprise organizations, nonprofits, initiatives and individuals making a significant impact on communities in Minnesota. This is the first time that nonprofit organizations have been included in the awards, in recognition of their profound influence on the quality of life in Minnesota and beyond.
Headquartered in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, the Newborn Foundation is a nonprofit leveraging technology innovation to improve outcomes and access to care for newborns. Founded in 2010, the Newborn Foundation has been dedicated to combatting newborn mortality by connecting fragile babies with medical care, and advocating for public health policies that improve maternal, newborn and children’s health across Minnesota, the United States and internationally. The foundation was among the first to develop a multi-hospital research study, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health, evaluating newborn screening for congenital heart defects (CHD), the most common and deadly birth defect. The team went on to help secure the addition of newborn heart screening to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ federally-recommended universal screening panel. 47 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia now require the screening and more than 15 million newborns have been screened nationwide.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized among the leaders in the Minnesota nonprofit and business communities,” said Annamarie Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of the Newborn Foundation. “The Newborn Foundation has the privilege of advocating for the youngest, most fragile babies, while developing and incubating our projects right here in Minnesota. We are grateful for the support and collaborations of our partners – including lawmakers, clinicians, researchers, industry and other nonprofit organizations that help us save and improve newborn lives.”
The Newborn Foundation team and its partners have been recognized for bringing early diagnostic protocols, equipment, implementation models and training to an additional nine countries internationally. Their significant work has led to grants from the University of Minnesota’s Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium, the UK-based Global Innovation Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. One of the Newborn Foundation’s projects, the BORN Project is pioneering the use of low-cost mobile-phone pulse oximetry to support early treatment of babies in rural China and the Philippines, and was recently recognized by the White House and the United Nations for its lifesaving impact.
About the Community Impact Awards
Community Impact Awards honor businesses, social enterprise organizations, nonprofits, initiatives and individuals making a significant impact on communities in Minnesota. For more information about 2017 Community Impact Awards, visit minnesotabusiness.com.
About the Newborn Foundation
The Newborn Foundation leverages health technology and innovation to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities for the newest, most vulnerable citizens through vital research, education and pilot projects domestically and internationally. Since 2010, the organization has been integral in the development, adoption and implementation of technologies and policies that support early detection, intervention and care of the youngest patients. For more information about Newborn Foundation: http://www.newbornfoundation.org.