What does this mean? The integration plan calls for women currently under the care of APD obstetrical providers to deliver at the APD Birthing Center through July 14, 2018. Beginning on July 15, women currently under the care of APD obstetrical providers will deliver at the Birthing Pavilion at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, located just over four miles from the APD campus. Prenatal and postnatal care will continue to be provided at the APD campus, and these services will also be available to patients at D-H’s Obstetrics Clinic, giving women the opportunity to choose their preferred location. Following the integration, APD will continue to offer gynecological services to patients on its campus and will refer patients to D-H for specialized services.

APD joined the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system in March 2016.  Since then, one of the key goals has been to integrate these services in order to ensure the sustainability of high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective obstetrical services for residents of the Upper Valley. 

Dr. Joanne Conroy, chief executive officer and president of Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, said, “We understand the significant role which APD has played in the community for many years, and they are an important part of the system. Working with our colleagues at APD, we seek to provide women in the Upper Valley with high-quality care that serves them in their birthing experience.”

Three initiatives related to women’s health and childbirth are expected to launch on the APD campus as part of this transition. First, some of the classes run by the integrated obstetrical service will be held on the APD campus in the Robert A. Mesropian Center for Community Care. In addition, the D-H Women’s Health Resource Center, located on the pedestrian mall in downtown Lebanon, New Hampshire, will be expanding its programming for APD patients at the Robert A. Mesropian Center for Community Care. Finally, a new program known as “Community Mothering” will be launched as part of the integrated obstetrical service. This community-based, pre- and post-natal program will provide support for patients who would benefit from additional engagement during their pregnancy, including home visits by community health workers for pregnant patients and new parents.

“We recognize the reasons why families chose APD for obstetrical care,” said Dr. Emily Baker, who is the vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. “We are also committed to ensuring that women make a successful transition to this integrated service and want them to feel and to know that they are welcomed and supported.”

In addition to communicating with APD obstetrical patients and offering a dedicated phone line for current patients, APD and D-H will invite all current obstetrical patients to individual meetings with providers to share more about the integration of the obstetrics program. 

More information about the decision and its impact on patients and the community, including a list of frequently asked questions (patient FAQs; public FAQs), can be found on the APD website and the D-H website.