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Project ECHO

at UTHealth

What is ECHO?

Originating in 2003 at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) creates forums for specialists to share knowledge and bridge the gap between the care provided in academic medical centers and rural areas. 

UTHealth is proud to partner with Project ECHO to offer teleconsulting and telementoring opportunities in dentistry, child psychiatric, and pediatrics to specialists and providers in rural and underserved communities. 

Using video collaboration software, providers meet, share knowledge, staff cases, and create a mentoring forum to learn from each other, raising the quality of care delivered to underserved patient populations.  

Through ongoing mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, and collaborative problem solving, the ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for all patients. 

Core values of ECHO 

  • Excellence and accountability 
  • Service to underserved communities 
  • Knowledge sharing 
  • Teamwork 
  • Innovation and learning 
  • Nurturing environment 
  • Trust and respect 

Why is ECHO Important?

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model offers a way to expand access to care in rural areas by developing capacity and clinician confidence among primary-care and community clinicians.

This project reduces health disparities in under-served and remote areas of the state, nation, and world. Through innovative telementoring, the ECHO model uses a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach where expert teams lead virtual clinics, amplifying the capacity for providers to deliver best-in-practice care to the underserved in their own communities.

How to start an ECHO project at UTHealth

To initiate an ECHO project here at UTHealth Houston, please contact:

Want to start an ECHO hub? 

Visit https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/get-involved/start-a-hub/ for begin the process. 

Projects

image for UTHealth School of Dentistry and Project ECHO

School Mental Health

We focus on topics relevant to student mental health in an educational setting. This ECHO is led by our mental health providers. School counselors are encouraged to participate by presenting de-identified challenging scenarios for case consultation. The mission of this program is to use our teleconference platform to enhance knowledge in relevant school-related topics, develop connection between providers, and provide support for those involved in school counseling services in the Texas educational system.
School Mental Health
image for UTHealth School of Dentistry and Project ECHO

Child Psychiatry for the Primary Care Provider

This Child Psychiatry ECHO, part of our CPAN Program provides opportunities for psychiatric consultations, access to didactic information, and support identifying resources for patients experiencing mental health challenges. We know more than 1.4 million children in Texas are estimated to have a diagnosable mental, behavioral or developmental disorder, and often there are significant wait times to access psychiatric care.
Child Psychiatry for the PCP
image for UTHealth School of Dentistry and Project ECHO

Dental Telementoring

We connect rural and underserved community health care providers with dental specialists at the UTHealth School of Dentistry using teleECHO™ virtual conferencing for lectures and meetings. Health care providers receive FREE consultation services and FREE continuing dental education credit for each telementoring session attended, without need to travel. Through the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Project ECHO superhub, the School of Dentistry is a subhub for dental and oral health, geriatrics, and cancer screening.
Dentistry Telementoring

Project Echo news at UTHealth