A Statewide Mobile Simulation Program for Improving Obstetric Skills in Rural Hospitals

( Anesth Analg . 2024;139(5):931–939. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000006883) The closure of rural obstetric (OB) units has created maternal care deserts, requiring expectant mothers in rural areas to travel long distances for essential maternity care. This situation also poses challenges for emergency departments (EDs) in hospitals without OB units, which must ensure that their staff regularly train to maintain OB skills. Similarly, rural level-1 OB units with low volumes of maternity cases struggle to provide comprehensive training. To address these challenges, a team used a federal grant to develop an OB mobile simulation program aimed at improving OB skills and standardizing care in Iowa. The program was based on the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) Patient Safety Bundles framework.