Elk City, OK – October 3rd, 2024– Great Plains Regional Medical Center is proud to announce the launch of TeamBirth, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing the birthing experience and improving outcomes for parents and their babies. 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 is designed to close gaps in communication that challenge the safety and dignity of individuals giving birth.
“At Great Plains Regional Medical Center, we want all parents and the clinicians who care for them to feel empowered to participate in decisions made during labor and delivery,” said Corey Lively, CEO of Great Plains Regional Medical Center. “TeamBirth will help us achieve this goal by fostering teamwork and communication among physicians, nurses, and staff, ensuring our patients feel heard and supported from the moment they walk into the hospital.”
Research indicates that failures in communication between providers and between providers and patients account for up to 90% of preventable injuries during childbirth. TeamBirth addresses these critical gaps to ensure that all parties involved in the labor and delivery process have shared input and understanding of decisions being made.
A central feature of the TeamBirth model is a shared whiteboard located in every labor and delivery room. This board outlines care plans and tracks progress for both the patient and the baby, serving as an ongoing reference for the entire care team. The full care team—including the person giving birth and their support person—meets frequently throughout labor and delivery in huddles to ensure everyone is aware of the patient’s preferences, symptoms, and experiences, setting clear expectations.
“The implementation of TeamBirth is a significant step towards creating a safe and dignified experience for everyone giving birth,” said Miranda Cummings, Director of the Women’s Center at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. “By putting parents at the center of care, we are ensuring that their voices are heard and respected throughout the entire process.”
Great Plains Regional Medical Center is proud to be one of the first hospitals to launch TeamBirth, which has been implemented in more than 16 health systems nationwide, collectively involving over 1,500 clinicians and more than 67,000 mothers and babies. Oklahoma is the first state to begin the implementation of TeamBirth statewide.
The Oklahoma TeamBirth Initiative is supported by the State Maternal Health Innovation Program Grant, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.
