Tools, Coaching, and Community to Support Interprofessional Emergency Transfer Drills: Results from a National Action...

Freestanding birth centers (FSBCs) play a critical role in expanding access to midwifery-led care, yet ensuring safe, efficient emergency transfers to hospitals remains a challenge. Effective transfers require strong collaboration between midwives, emergency medical services (EMS), and hospital-based providers. The Step Up Together Action Collaborative was launched in 2024 to strengthen interprofessional education and emergency preparedness. By providing tools, coaching, and community support, this initiative aimed to improve communication, efficiency, and teamwork across settings.

The Action Collaborative engaged 11 birth center-hospital teams across 10 states in a 5-month program centered on interprofessional education and testing transfer processes. Participants received drill kits (tools), expert-led virtual sessions (coaching), and a peer-learning network (community) to enhance emergency preparedness. Teams conducted Partial and Full Transfer Drills, applying evidence-based strategies to improve real-time emergency coordination. Evaluation methods included pre- and postintervention surveys, drill reports, and participant feedback assessing guideline adherence, teamwork, and clinical decision-making.

Seven of 11 teams (63.6%) conducted Full Transfer Drills, engaging more than 140 participants from birth centers, hospitals, and EMS. Participants reported increased confidence in emergency transfers, stronger interprofessional relationships, and improved communication. Teams identified gaps in training and documentation, leading to immediate quality improvements, including improved EMS engagement, transfer guidelines, and organization of equipment.

The Step Up Together Action Collaborative demonstrates the power of tools, coaching, and community in strengthening emergency maternal and neonatal care. By integrating simulation-based learning, coaching, and a collaborative network, the program bridged gaps between community and hospital-based teams, fostering mutual trust and shared learning. Lessons learned underscore the need for sustained collaboration, continued training, and expanded integration of midwifery-led care models within perinatal systems. This initiative offers a scalable approach to interprofessional education, demonstrating how equipping teams with context-specific tools, guidance, and professional support can improve emergency preparedness and maternal safety.