The three Dartmouth Health hospitals that provide childbirth services have earned TeamBirth Recognition, a designation that Unravel Healthcare says honors hospitals for their commitment to patient autonomy and shared decision-making in the birth process. Dartmouth Health announced the news via press release Monday, Nov. 9.
Nationally, one in five women reported mistreatment while receiving maternal care, according to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control. Black and Hispanic women reported mistreatment at a higher rate, at one in three women. Nearly half of women held themselves back from asking questions and sharing concerns during the process, according to the study.
TeamBirth is a healthcare model in which clinicians and patients meet to discuss patient preferences and the birth process during frequent, structured conversations called “huddles.” The model includes a shared planning whiteboard that outlines preferences, the birth plan and when the group will huddle again.
Dartmouth Health launched TeamBirth at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, Cheshire Medical Center in Keene and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington in March.
Dr. Ella Damiano, an obstetrician-gynecologist at DHMC, told the Valley News that hospitals earn the recognition when staff observes a set number of huddles and complete observer forms. The hospital must also survey patients on their TeamBirth experience.
TeamBirth was developed by Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Unravel Healthcare, a spinout of Ariadne Labs, administers TeamBirth and designates committed hospitals as having TeamBirth Recognition.
Of the more than 300 hospitals that have implemented TeamBirth, only 45 have earned TeamBirth Recognition, according to Unravel Healthcare. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is the only hospital in Vermont to have implemented TeamBirth or earned the recognition, also according to Unravel Healthcare.
Damiano said DHMC clinicians encountered few challenges in applying TeamBirth because they had worked closely with Unravel Healthcare on the implementation.
She said physician, nurse and midwife leaders supported TeamBirth implementation because they saw compelling data showing mothers felt more autonomy during childbirth when they had huddles, even when the mother experienced complications in labor.
In a clinical trial at four hospitals that had implemented TeamBirth, 94% of clinicians reported that the program improved care for patients and 96% of patients reported their preferences made a difference in care.
“Our team was very eager for this intervention,” Damiano said. “Everyone identified a shared mission of putting the patient at the center of obstetrics care.”
Damiano said clinicians introduce TeamBirth shortly after admission, including during prenatal care. Huddles can continue after birth if the newborn and patient stay admitted at the hospital.
Damiano said DHMC performs about 1,400 deliveries annually. Cheshire performs around 350, and SVMC performs a little under 300 deliveries, Damiano said.
Unravel Healthcare, the Foundation for Healthy Communities, and the New Hampshire Perinatal Quality Collaborative are working to bring TeamBirth to all birthing hospitals in the state. The groups recently completed implementation at a cohort of six hospitals and another cohort began in October, according to the Foundation for Healthy Communities.
Dartmouth Health co-leads the New Hampshire Perinatal Quality Collaborative with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
