Lebanon, NH – 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 Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire), Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), 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 Cheshire, DHMC, 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.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital, the Golisano Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Health, and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.