Perinatal emergencies are the classic “low-frequency, high-acuity” challenge for EMS: they’re uncommon enough that confidence and muscle memory can fade, but when they happen, the stakes are large: two patients, rapidly changing physiology, and a system that has to coordinate fast from dispatch to the receiving hospital.

Step Up Together® bridges the gap between silos. We provide standardized, ready-to-run emergency transfer drills that simulate the full arc of a real-world event—from the initial 911 call by a community midwife to the final hospital handoff.

“It is the transition of care where things start to go wrong. We’re really good in our isolated silos, but when those silos have to come together… that is where the problems start.”

EMS Participant

Why Step Up Together for your Agency?

Step Up Together’s model uses Drill Kits and structured support so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The program also emphasizes drills that can be run at different levels of complexity – full transfer drills or partial drills – and provides the objectives, roles, and debrief tools. 

Key Benefits for EMS:

• Built-In Scalability:
  Run full-spectrum transfers or targeted “stress tests” on specific segments like pre-hospital stabilization.
  
• Operational Reliability:
  Reduce handoff breakdowns and delays at each stage
  
• Community Integration:
  Build professional rapport with local midwifery practices and destination hospitals before the high-stress call happens.
  
• Ready-Made Curriculum:
  Save hours of administrative labor with pre-built scenarios and objective-based debriefs.
  

Real-World Impact

Hennepin EMS recently utilized a Step Up Together drill to strengthen interagency coordination. The results? Improved professional communication, clarified roles, and a stronger partnership with community-based care organizations. As a result of their drill, a collaborative document was created to help EMS personnel better understand the midwifery profession and capabilities of this group of professionals. The goal isn’t just to practice; it’s to ensure that when a midwife calls 911, every link in the chain—dispatch, medics, and RNs—speaks the same language.

“Having this understanding ahead of time will help to expedite patient care, improve communications on-scene, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Continued joint training opportunities like this are essential to maintaining safe, coordinated, and patient-centered care across our systems.”

Hennepin EMS

The Bottom Line

For EMS leaders, Step Up Together isn’t just about checking a training box; it’s about system resiliency. We turn “isolated silos” into a unified response team, ensuring safer outcomes for mothers and newborns in your community.