Home birth intrapartum urgent or emergency care

In an urgent or emergent intrapartum situation, use your best clinical judgment to care for your patient. Whenever possible, please contact a Kaiser Permanente obstetric specialist prior to intrapartum hospital transfer to assess the clinical situation and determine the most appropriate course of care, transfer destination, or both for the patient.

Whenever possible, please use Kaiser Permanente-owned or contracted facilities and Kaiser Permanente medical staff . Additionally, familiarize yourself with Kaiser Permanente’s maternity services in your area. Using hospitals other than those approved by Kaiser Permanente may result in denial of coverage.

If feasible, call the 24-hour Emergency Notification Line at 1-888-457-9516 prior to an intrapartum hospital transfer. This initiates a prior authorization for the facility and the practitioner. Be prepared to give the name of the transfer facility and the physician caring for the mother and baby during their hospital stay.

If an urgent or emergent clinical situation prevents you from contacting us prior to transfer, you must contact the 24-hour Emergency Notification Line at your earliest possible opportunity. Prompt information allows the Kaiser Permanente physician or midwife and care management team to coordinate care during and after the patient's hospital stay.