Apply for the 2026-27
National Action Collaborative

Test and Improve Transfer Processes
Strengthen Relationships Across Settings
Lead Quality Improvement in Your Region

The national Step Up Together Action Collaborative supports teams to actively plan, run, and debrief interdisciplinary drills that simulate real transfer scenarios—from community to hospital. By the end of the program, your team will execute and be able to sustain Full Transfer Drills and apply those insights to real patient care.

We are seeking interdisciplinary teams that include:

  • Community birth providers (birth centers or home birth practices)
  • Hospital-based providers and leaders
  • EMS or transport partners

Two cohort tracks will be available:

  • Birth Center Cohort - for teams testing emergency transfer processes from the birth center to the hospital
  • Home Birth Cohort - for teams testing emergency transfer processes from home birth to the hospital

Application deadline is August 17, 2026. The program starts in September 2026 and runs through February 2027. We anticipate most teams will run their Full Transfer Drills in January, although some may schedule them earlier or later. Spots are limited and teams will be selected based on readiness and commitment to interdisciplinary participation.

Fill Out the Form Below to Apply!

We've also created a guide to help you prepare what you'll need for a complete application. View the Application Guide.

  • 2026-27 Action Collaborative Session Dates

  • All sessions begin at 12pm EST and are 1 hour except for Session #1 which will be 1.5 hours.

  • Session #1: September 28th
    Welcome and Preparing for Effective Emergency Drills
  • Session #2: October 19th
    Improving Community Birth Transfers through Collaboration and Documentation. Personnel Readiness and Engaging with EMS
  • Session #3: November 2nd (Home Birth ) November 9th (Birth Center)
    What's in your Emergency Toolkit: Environmental Readiness for Emergencies
  • -- Open Weeks to Run Partial Transfer Drill --
  • Session #4: December 14th
    Partial Transfer Drill Community Debrief and Full Transfer Preparation
  • Session #5: January 11th
    Clinical Deep Dive and Transfer Case Review
  • -- Open Weeks to Run Full Transfer Drill --
  • Session #6: February 8th
    Full Transfer Drill Community Debrief
  • Session #7: February 22nd
    Turning Drill Experiences into Sustained Practice Changes and Quality Improvement