Project ECHO

Texas A&M Health utilizes the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model to improve health care outcomes for Texans—especially those in rural, military and underserved populations. Project ECHO aims to ultimately improve patient care by connecting health care providers and professionals in rural, isolated communities with specialized clinical and operational expertise.

WHAT IS PROJECT ECHO?

Project ECHO was launched in 2003 at the University of New Mexico. It grew out of the vision of Sanjeev Arora, MD, a liver disease specialist who was frustrated that he could only serve a fraction of the hepatitis C patients in New Mexico. To reach as many patients as possible, Arora shared with primary care providers the knowledge and skills required to manage the care of their hepatitis C patients prior to and after specialty care visits.

The Project ECHO model uses a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach. Through a secure video connection, Project ECHO brings to multiple communities a live panel of subject matter experts that are available to share their knowledge and advice with clinical providers, administrators and para health professionals.

During ECHO sessions, providers present de-identified patient cases to expert teams who mentor the providers to manage patients with common, complex conditions. These case-based discussions are supplemented with short didactic presentations to improve content knowledge and share evidence-based best practices.

Providers can connect to ECHO programs that are focused on complex conditions of interest to them.

ECHO PROGRAMS AT TEXAS A&M HEALTH

We utilize the Project ECHO model of mentoring in a number of programs to extend our expertise to providers and professionals across Texas and beyond.

Center for Optimizing Rural Health

The Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH) provides technical assistance to help rural hospitals deliver the care that's needed most with the available resources. CORH is working with hospitals, communities, partners and other stakeholders to design and implement evidence-based, unique and sustainable solutions to remove the barriers that prevent many communities from accessing quality health care.

Contact: Bree Watzak

ECHO-SAFE

Through ECHO-SAFE, the Texas Teleforensic Remote Assistance Center (Tex-TRAC) team supports health care providers in emergency departments conducting sexual assault forensic medical exams using a knowledge-sharing approach where subject matter experts offer expertise through telementoring.

View the ECHO-SAFE website for more information on how to participate.

EMPOWER

EMPOWER (Enhancing Mental Health Practice, Organization and Workforce through Education and Readiness) is the first Texas-based opioid-centered Project ECHO hub. We help rural health care providers across Texas address the opioid epidemic for their patients, and increase rural health care access. By moving medical knowledge, not patients, patients can be treated where they are rather than where specialists practice.

Contact: Chinelo Nsobundu

Patient Safety Organization

The Patient Safety Organization is available as a resource for hospitals, doctors and other health care providers to improve patient safety and health care quality. Our goal is to help health care providers reduce or eliminate risks and hazards associated with the delivery of patient care. Reporting is done on a voluntary basis, and all information remains confidential.

Contact: Ellen Martin