Portsmouth Regional Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare, has launched TeamBirth, a new patient-centered care model, which supports open communication among patients, their support people and clinicians before, during and after childbirth. Using the new program, the Labor & Delivery team at Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s Seacoast Family Services will design custom birthing experiences with the patient and baby at the center of it all.
“Communication is key with every patient, but this new TeamBirth initiative takes it a step further,” said Michelle Dodd, RN, chief nursing officer at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. “With this program, the patient and partner will be kept up to date with communications boards in their rooms and frequent ‘huddles’ with the care team to ensure all parties have shared decision making to improve safety, quality of care and to ensure a positive experience.”
With TeamBirth, each labor and delivery and postpartum room will have a shared planning board that provides the names of all care team members; the patient’s preferences for before, during and after birth; as well as an outline and progress for each patient and their baby.
As one of the first hospitals in the Granite State to introduce TeamBirth, Portsmouth Regional Hospital wants to ensure that every birthing person has a voice to:
- Share information
- Ask questions
- Make decisions
- Discuss changes in care
- Express preferences
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.