Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an innovative medical education and mentoring model that builds primary care capacity while improving access to specialty health care in rural communities. The program was established in New Mexico in 2003 and over the years has expanded to 54 sites in 10 different countries. The Project ECHO® model does not provide direct patient care. Instead, it increases access to specialty treatment by providing front-line clinicians with the knowledge and support needed to manage patients with complex conditions.

What ECHO Hawai`i DOES:

  • Increase health workforce capacity
  • Decentralize specialty knowledge
  • Provide no-cost CME to participants
  • Leverage telehealth technology
  • Incorporate guided case-based learning
  • Promote best practice and measure outcomes

What ECHO Hawai`i DOES NOT DO:

  • Provide direct patient care
  • Practice “telemedicine” (provider to patient)
  • Charge providers to participate
  • Promote any commercial product
  • Bill for medical services

The Hawai`i State Rural Health Association serves as the lead agency for ECHO Hawai`i and is dedicated to replicating this unique telehealth model across our island state. The goal of ECHO Hawai`i is to develop a comprehensive multi-disciplinary group of clinical and community experts (hub site) committed to continuously mentoring primary care providers (spoke sites) in specialty areas. ECHO Hawai`i aims to engage providers from all health care areas and disciplines such as primary care, mental health, oral health, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, and community health workers.

Participation is from wherever you are, via Zoom, a HIPAA-compliant cloud-based video conferencing service. Participants have the option to join using their computer, tablet, or even smart phone. Each ECHO clinic will consist of a brief didactic session, followed by a case presentation, review and discussion. To effectively build communities of practice, providers will present actual patient cases (de-identified) to the mentor team, and participate in group peer-to-peer discussions. All participants will receive free continuing education credits for each session they attend. An ECHO Hawai`i website is currently in development and will provide additional details such as registration information, clinic calendar, resources, and online tools.

Background – – In July 2015, a team of seven Hawai`i stakeholders traveled to the University of New Mexico, School of Medicine to participate in the Project ECHO® orientation and immersion training. This team is currently charged with the task of planning and launching two pilot ECHO Hawai`i clinics (behavioral health, endocrinology) in 2016. Initial start-up funding and resources have been provided by the Hawaii State Department of Health (Family Health Services Division, Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Office of Planning Policy and Program Development), JABSOM Hawai`i/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center, and `Ohana Health Plan.

BH ECHO sign up
BH ECHO Resources/Presentations
Video recordings– for password information, please email bhechohawaii@gmail.com

Peds ECHO sign up
Peds Resources/Presentations
Video recordings– for password information, please email pediatricechohawaii@gmail.com

For more information on Project ECHO® visit http://echo.unm.edu

Get Zoom

If you would like to participate in Project ECHO and you are not HIPAA trained, please complete this online training:

HIPAA Training

For information on Hawaii State Rural Health Association visit http://www.hawaiistateruralhealth.org

ECHO HAWAI‘I IS PLEASED TO INTRODUCE ITS

Geriatric Care ECHO Clinic Series

Visit the Geriatrics ECHO site

The Hawai‘i Consortium for Continuing Medical Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Hawai‘i Consortium for Continuing Medical Education designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ per session. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers – Hawaii Chapter (Approval HI62792017-122) for up to 1 Social Work continuing education contact hour(s) per session. This program is approved by the Hawaii State Department of Health’s (DOH’s) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD) for 1 Social Work continuing education contact hour(s) per session.

Please visit us at: https://www.hawaiiecho.info/ for updated calendar and resources.

If you would like to participate, please contact Dr. Kelley Withy at withy@hawaii.edu

Sponsored by Hawaii State Rural Health Association, Hawaii Department of Health State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Hawaii Area Health Education Center and the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center.