WhidbeyHealth honored for labor and delivery initiative
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 31, 2026
WhidbeyHealth has received a statewide award for a maternity care program that hospital officials say improved communication between patients and medical staff during labor and delivery, according to a Washington State Hospital Association news release.
The association presented WhidbeyHealth and PeaceHealth United General Medical Center with its Rural Quality Every Day Extraordinary Award during its Rural Hospital Leadership Conference in Chelan this summer.
WhidbeyHealth was recognized for implementing TeamBirth, an evidence-based maternity care model developed by Ariadne Labs, a health systems innovation center jointly operated by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
TeamBirth is designed to improve communication and shared decision-making during labor by bringing patients, their support people and clinicians together for regular discussions about the birth plan and any changes in care. The model uses bedside planning boards and scheduled “huddles” throughout labor.
According to the hospital association, the program resulted in higher patient ratings for communication, care planning, pain control, respect and the overall birth experience.
PeaceHealth United General Medical Center earned the award for a program aimed at preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections that combined High Reliability Organization principles with frontline quality improvement.
“These programs show how rural hospitals are finding innovative ways to improve care and deliver better outcomes for patients,” said Darcy Jaffe, WSHA senior vice president of clinical excellence. “Both organizations achieved measurable results that can serve as models for hospitals across Washington.”
The association’s Rural Quality Everyday Extraordinary Award honors rural hospitals whose quality improvement initiatives demonstrate measurable results, strengthen patient safety and provide approaches that can be replicated by other hospitals across the state.
The Washington State Hospital Association advocates for and provides value to members in achieving their missions and improving the health of their communities. WSHA represents more than 100 hospitals and health systems in the state, including those that are non-profit, investor-owned, and county, state and military hospitals.
