What if a transfer to the hospital is necessary?
Every birth center client is required to pre-register at their hospital of choice. This ensures a smooth transition from birth center to hospital in the event of a transfer. National statistics have been maintained on birth center outcomes for over 20 years, and it has been demonstrated that virtually all clients who transfer to the hospital do so on a non-emergency basis (typically to avail themselves of labor stimulating hormones or epidural analgesia). However, if an emergency transfer to the hospital during labor is necessary, this trip takes only 13 minutes by ambulance, putting us well within a 30 minute “decision to incision” standard for cesarean section that most hospitals strive to achieve. This emergency responsiveness is better than that provided by many rural hospitals.
