Pregnant patients should feel empowered to have the birth experience that’s right for their family and reflects their culture. In this episode of Off the Charts podcast, we talk with LeeAnn Hubbard, MD, the medical director of the Regions Hospital Family Birth Center.
We discuss how the birth center puts health equity at the forefront of its care, the importance of health equity during labor and delivery, and the partnership between families and their care teams. Listen to the episode or read the transcript.
How the Regions Hospital Family Birth Center is working to build trust with patients
Over time, the birth center at Regions Hospital has changed its approach to supporting patients of all communities and cultures. In order to build trust with the patient populations they serve, the team at Regions has put more effort into outreach, improved scheduling and broadened patient communication.
They’ve connected with the patient groups that they serve and listened to their needs to make the entire experience easier – from prenatal visits through post-partum care. And the larger focus on communication has helped with patient education and connection.
Now, the team at Regions has shifted their perspective to meet patients where they are in order to help give each person what they need. Whether a patient comes in with questions about family planning and birth control or they’re not sure when to schedule their first appointment, the care team is willing to guide them and communicate with them.
Why trust is an important part of health care
Dr. Hubbard believes that health equity and trust are foundational when it comes to practicing medicine. To her, it relates back to the doctor’s oath to “do no harm.” Without trust, it’s impossible to have the kind of relationship with a patient that’s needed in order to offer them quality, timely care. And care goes beyond just offering therapeutic treatments – it includes caring for the entire patient holistically.
Building trust can be as straightforward as speaking the same language
One of the ways that the team at Regions Hospital is working to build trust with the patients they serve is by offering care services in multiple languages. Pregnancy, labor and delivery can be a difficult transition for any patient, especially if there is a language barrier.
Recently, Regions started working with Everyday Miracles, a local group that offers prenatal classes and doula support in multiple languages. This makes it possible for families from a wide range of cultural backgrounds to get the care and support they need in their primary language.
Meeting families where they are
Regions Hospital also partners with multiple organizations to help patients of different cultures. D.I.V.A. (Dynamic Involved Valued African American) Moms is an organization in St. Paul, Minnesota, that helps Black patients navigate pregnancy. The organization helps Black families feel more comfortable with the labor and delivery process and ensures that they are welcomed and cared for while at the birth center.
Regions also works with the Hmong Medical Coalition in order to learn more about the cultural needs of Hmong patients. By working together and learning from each other, the team at Regions works hard to ensure that each patient’s cultural needs are met.
Listen to the episode to learn more about how the Regions Hospital Birth Center is working to promote trust and health equity.