Cheryl Martin (Host): Here at Capital Health, we strive to ensure that every family feels empowered and informed during every step of the childbirth experience. Teen Birth helps us achieve these goals. Here to explain this approach is Heather Pache, a perinatal safety coordinator and childbirth education coordinator. Krista. This

is the Health Headlines podcast series from Capital Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Heather and Krista, thanks for coming on

Krista Gervon: Hi. Thanks for having us.

Heather Piche: Thank you.

Cheryl Martin (Host): first. For those who might not be familiar, Heather, what is Team birth?

Heather Piche: so for anyone who hasn't heard of it, team Birth is a process focused on communication, teamwork, and shared decision-making between the patient, the clinical team, and identified support people. It incorporates structured huddles throughout the delivery stay and shared planning tools to help elicit preferences. Elevate the voices of everyone on the care team and drive equitable care for all birthing people.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Krista, what are the key principles or goals of the teen birth approach?

Krista Gervon: So as Heather said, team birth is a patient-centered approach to maternity care, And the key principles are really transparent, communication, teamwork, and shared decision-making between the entire care team And the patient in order to promote a dignified childbirth experience. And ultimately, our goal with implementing team birth is to ensure that every patient feels supported and respected in their choices and ultimately has a safe delivery.

Cheryl Martin (Host): So Heather, why is teen birth so important, And then what potential problems does it help to solve?

Heather Piche: Team birth is important because at its core it's meant to bring collaboration. Respectful care and shared decision-making. we want patient's to feel safe and, have dignified births and have every member of the care team feel their voice heard. In any healthcare setting, communication is key. A team birth huddle brings your patient support person, doula, lactation, consultant provider, a nurse, whomever, is important to that, care team together at one time to discuss the plan of care and give an opportunity to have anyone ask questions and help identify next steps for that patient.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Krista, give us some examples of how team birth has been implemented at Capital Health.

Krista Gervon: Sure. So I work more on the outpatient side, so while they're still, taking our classes and attending our events. So we utilize our team birth tools such as the Admission Guide, our Labor Support Guide, And the assisted delivery guide. On our website so that people are aware of team birth prior to admission.

We also have it available on our new maternity app that, we'll be rolling out in the next few weeks to months. and they're also distributed at our preparing for labor and birth classes. We really wanna make an effort to introduce team birth again, like I said, prior to admission, so that patient's are aware of what team birth is, and more importantly, to become educated on what their options are during labor and delivery.

These tools also serve as points where a huddle can be requested, as Heather mentioned in her last, question. So that will help the patient through their choices, and become comfortable with the care plan or any changes to the care plan. We also use team birth tools, at events. As I said.

So at our community, baby shower, we let, the community know that we really. Prioritize a patient-centered approach to their care, so that they can feel supported, throughout that process.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Heather, anything you wanted to add on that?

Heather Piche: Yeah, so on the inpatient side, team birth has been implemented over the past year through a lot of education. We have champions from many disciplines, And the hospital. We had lunch events and half birthday events, and really just ongoing encouragement to work to igra team birth huddles into our culture.

labor and delivery in the mother baby unit. Had custom whiteboards made for each room that are available in the three languages most preferred by our birthing people. these whiteboards are made to reflect the core components of team birth, identifying the entire care team, which includes the patient support persons, doulas, clinicians, it incorporates patient preferences, the plan of care for both the birthing person And the baby, And the plan for the next huddle.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Now Heather, is team birth something that's widely used by hospitals around the country?

Heather Piche: so team birth is still a relatively new concept. It was piloted in, 20 18, 20 19, so it's not widely used, but it has been expanding, especially in New Jersey.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Now since adopting this approach, do you believe it's had a positive impact on the childbirth experience for patient's, families, and their care teams?

Heather Piche: We do feel that adopting teen birth has had a positive impact, on the childbirth experience. We feel, For both the patient's, the families, and their care teams. There's been some data collection around patient experience, autonomy and decision-making and staff perception. With Team Birth, we're able to look at these surveys and see where it's making a positive impact and where we can work to improve, but it definitely feels like we are on the right track.

Krista Gervon: And I'll just mention just as, some feedback from our childbirth education classes that I feel like there's still a little bit of uncertainty around the concept, especially for parents expecting their first child. By accompanying the concepts of team birth with classes like our new Preparing with Confidence, which is a birth preferences preparation class, expectant parents can become more familiar with their options during labor delivery and postpartum.

And then when they become a patient, it's not so foreign to them. They'll remember that from the classes. It's sort of a proactive, encouragement and empowerment way to help promote open communication between them, and their. care team, both prenatally And then during their labor process.

Cheryl Martin (Host): And I'd like both of you to answer this question. Why would you recommend Capital Health as the best place to deliver a baby for parents in the region? Krista.

Krista Gervon: well, I can say I know that we have an expansive team of healthcare providers, nurses, international board-certified lactation consultants, who. Prioritize both care for our mothers and babies alike. and I will also say that on the prenatal side for education purposes, our childbirth education, instructors are all certified and most of them are also doulas.

So you are getting comprehensive support from the point of early pregnancy throughout the pregnancy and into, Labor and delivery when you get your care and education through capital help.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Heather.

Heather Piche: Implementing team birth is just one example of the way the maternal child health staff at Capital are willing to make meaningful change to elevate the standard of care. We do offer comprehensive services for both the birthing person and baby, but we also have an incredible team that cares really deeply about their patient's and really takes pride in the care they deliver.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Krista Garvan and Heather Pache. Thanks for explaining the team birth approach And it's benefits. Glad you're on today. Thank you.

Krista Gervon: Thank you so much for having us. I.

Cheryl Martin (Host): For more information about Capital Health's maternity services, visit capital health.org/maternity. If you found this podcast helpful, please tell other's about it and share it on your social media, and be sure to check out our entire podcast library for other topics of interest to you. Thanks for listening to the Health Headlines podcast series from Capital Health.