The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) will roll out TeamBirth in 15 hospitals across Washington state the week of Oct. 23, introducing a program that centers the patient in all health care decisions made throughout labor, delivery and postpartum. These 15 hospitals form the first cohort launching TeamBirth in collaboration with WSHA. WSHA plans to continue rolling out the program in three subsequent cohorts in partnership with Ariadne Labs’ Delivery Decisions Initiative, with a goal of 100 percent program adoption among the state’s birthing hospitals.
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.
TeamBirth improves care by ensuring people giving birth and the clinicians caring for them have shared input and understanding during the delivery of care. The program calls for team huddles at key decision points throughout the hospital stay with the information discussed anchored on a white board present in all patient rooms. Huddles happen on admission to the hospital, with any changes to the patient or child’s condition, when decisions are made surrounding delivery and anytime the patient or a team member requests a huddle.
“All women and birthing people deserve to have a safe and dignified experience during and after their delivery,” said Dr. Amber Weiseth, DNP, MSN, RN, director of Ariadne Labs’ Delivery Decisions Initiative. “Having lived in Washington for most of my life, I am so excited that TeamBirth will continue to grow here, a state deeply committed to innovating and improving the quality of health care.”
The huddle aspect of TeamBirth ensures that everyone involved in the birthing process is on the same page and that decisions are made transparently. The person giving birth – alongside any caregivers who are not part of hospital staff (doulas, spouses, parents of the expecting person, etc.) – convene with the labor and delivery staff to go over a birthing plan and any desires or expectations of the person giving birth. This ensures shared decision making between the new parent and hospital staff in case of any unexpected changes to the delivery plan.
The rollout of TeamBirth is a joint venture between WSHA and Massachusetts-based Ariadne Labs, supported with funding by Ballmer Group.
The 15 hospitals participating in the first cohort include:
- Cascade Valley Hospital
- Confluence Health Hospital Central Campus
- Coulee Medical Center
- EvergreenHealth
- Overlake Medical Center
- Providence Centralia Hospital
- Providence Holy Family Hospital
- Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
- Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
- Providence St. Peter Hospital
- Swedish Edmonds
- Swedish First Hill
- Swedish Issaquah
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health: St. Francis Hospital
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Medical Center (Seattle)
“We are excited to be one of the first states in the country to implement TeamBirth. Our hospitals are committed to those giving birth having the best possible experience in the hospital bringing their new child into the world,” WSHA CEO Cassie Sauer said. “Giving birth is such a special moment of life. The implementation of this program creates clear avenues of communication to keep everyone on the same page, and to keep the expecting parent an active participant in their health care.”
