Mercy Hospital Ada launched a new TeamBirth initiative for mothers aimed at improving the childbirth experience. The TeamBirth program, implemented in labor and delivery units, fosters open dialogue, teamwork and shared decision-making between patients and clinicians to empower moms during the birthing process.
Mercy leaders and co-workers joined providers and physicians from The Women’s Clinic to celebrate the kickoff of this new patient care initiative. Providers from The Women’s Clinic in Pontotoc County deliver babies at Mercy.
“We are excited to introduce this new initiative to the Ada community because it has been proven to promote safer and more personalized childbirth experiences for mothers,” said Monica Lesley, manager of nursing services at Mercy Hospital Ada. “We are confident it will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our mothers and their babies as they undergo such a life-changing event.”
The initiative was first launched in 2018 by Ariadne Labs, a center for health systems innovation based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, both in Boston. Ariadne Labs developed the TeamBirth program to address critical gaps in care for birthing mothers.
According to a study by The Joint Commission, failures in communication between providers and patients account for up to 90 percent of preventable injuries during childbirth across the U.S.
As part of the TeamBirth initiative, Mercy Hospital Ada will implement a training program for care providers, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and patient engagement. Mothers will be actively involved in creating a personalized care plan from the time they are admitted until they are discharged after birth. The care plan will also be documented on a visual messaging board located in patient rooms for all to see.
The initiative was brought to Mercy Hospital Ada through the collaborative efforts of Janette Henry, the obstetrics unit educator, and nurse Asheton Samaha. Together, Henry and Samaha will continue co-worker education and team collaboration as the program is implemented.
“By prioritizing communication and collaboration, we are encouraging mothers to be active participants in their birth process and plan,” said Henry. “This ensures that their preferences and needs remain central to the childbirth process and simultaneously provides guidance and support to team members providing care.”
Mercy recently completed a renovation of the hospital’s labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) rooms, in a $1.2 million project funded entirely by philanthropy.
