SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Mercy Medical Center leaders has launched a new initiative to enhance the birthing experience on Friday.

TeamBirth is a new initiative to enhance the birthing experience and improve outcomes for people giving birth and their babies, according to a news release sent to 22News from Mercy Medical Center.

The goal is to improve the outcomes for women giving birth and their babies. The medical center hopes to close the gaps in communication that can challenge the safety of women.

“At Mercy Medical Center, we want every woman giving birth and the clinicians who care for them to feel empowered to participate in decisions made during labor and delivery,” said Robert Roose, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Administrative Officer, Mercy Medical Center, and Johnson Memorial Hospital. “TeamBirth will move us closer to that goal by fostering teamwork and communication among physicians, midwives, nurses, staff, and the woman giving birth so that our patients are heard and supported from the moment they walk into the Family Life Center.”

Research says that failures in communication between the providers and between providers and the patients account for up to 90 percent of preventable injuries during birth. TeamBirth was created to help address these gaps in communication to make sure that people who are giving birth and the clinicians who are caring for them have shared input and will have an understanding of decisions during labor and delivery.

Mayor Sarno states, “I want to applaud Mercy Medical Center for working to enhance the communication and teamwork aspects for mothers who are expecting, their families, and the medical professionals they work with while giving birth to their babies. This new initiative will greatly improve the experience families and medical staff have in order to make the birthing procedure safe for all involved, especially for the mothers and their babies.”