All of Dartmouth Health’s hospitals with labor and delivery service have now earned TeamBirth Recognition, honoring their commitment to teamwork, open communication, and dignity throughout the childbirth experience.
The recognition acknowledges sustained efforts by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) to ensure people giving birth, their support system, and their care teams work together to make informed decisions during labor, delivery, and recovery.
Dartmouth Health introduced TeamBirth at DHMC, Cheshire, and SVMC in March 2026. The model 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 uses structured conversations, known as huddles, and a shared planning board to help patients and clinicians stay informed and aligned throughout the birthing process. The board outlines the care team, the patient’s preferences, the plan for the patient and baby, and when the team will huddle again. Patients and their support people are integral members of the care team and are encouraged to participate in decisions about their care.
“TeamBirth ensures that patient’s preferences, which can dynamically change during labor and delivery, remain at the forefront of care plans and decision making,” said DHMC obstetrician-gynecologist Ella A. Damiano, MD. “By creating regular opportunities for patients, their support system, and clinicians to communicate, we can make sure everyone understands the patient’s wishes and that care decisions reflect their needs and preferences as they evolve.”
To earn recognition, each hospital spent a year implementing TeamBirth and demonstrated sustainability of the improvement. Recognition is renewed every three years through Unravel Healthcare, which administers the program.
“TeamBirth provides a standard structure of communication that occurs among people giving birth, their families, and their health care professionals,” said Amber Weiseth, DNP, CEO of Unravel Healthcare. “We're so encouraged by Dartmouth Health’s leadership and staff for this ongoing commitment to ensure that every patient has a voice in the decisions made throughout their birthing process."
In a clinical trial of the TeamBirth model involving four hospitals, 96% of patients reported that their preferences made a difference in their care, and 94% of clinicians said the model improved care through better communication, teamwork, and shared decision-making.
TeamBirth has been implemented in more than 300 hospitals across 26 states, as well as in five countries. SVMC is the first in Vermont to implement this model, according to Unravel Healthcare.
Learn more about TeamBirth at unravelhealthcare.com/teambirth.