Hillcrest Medical Center Launching 'Teambirth' Initiative

Hillcrest Medical Center is unveiling a new initiative Monday to help the birthing process go more smoothly for both the mother and child. Hillcrest officials say they are always aiming to improve maternal health when it comes to having a child, and this program called “Teambirth” is one step towards that goal.

Kinsey Gaylor, an Education Specialist for Hillcrest, said Teambirth is an idea that focuses on constant communication between all doctors and the woman having the baby to ensure that she is heard and her needs are met.

They are doing this by not only verbally communicating, but writing on a whiteboard that is broken down into specific sections of care as well to make sure everything is visually laid out. The goal is to make sure the patient is included in every step of the plan of care, which Hillcrest officials say seems like that should always already be the case, but sometimes it’s not when several doctors are involved with one patient.

Hillcrest officials said they are one of several hospitals across the country and even in Tulsa implementing the program into their daily routines. Gaylor said this idea began years ago when experts began trying to figure out how to lower the number of women needing a c-section due to complications of the birthing process.

Gaylor said Teambirth will increase the overall health of both the woman and her baby and the chances of them leaving happy and healthy.

“We want our patients to understand they are the experts of their own body and own experiences and we are wanting them to know they are in a safe place where they can receive safe care and they will be listened to and they will be heard,” Gaylor said.

Hillcrest Medical Center will hold a ceremony commemorating the launch of the program Monday morning. That will be the official kick-off of implementing Teambirth into every maternal patient’s plan of care.