ECHO: Moving Knowledge, Not People
LSFHS ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) established in 2022 provides an inclusive, interactive approach to connect and empower Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Primary Care Physicians (PCPs), multidisciplinary specialists/providers, and other professionals. LSFHS ECHO uses the Project ECHO educational, knowledge-sharing model to create a synchronous, virtual network of healthcare professionals to discuss didactic content regarding clinical and systematic practice changes and to review de-identified patient cases related to medical care, social determinants of health, and community services. Project ECHO increases access to high-quality specialty care in local communities through technology-enabled collaborative learning to eliminate silos, collaborate on solutions, and equip specialists, providers, and the community. The benefits are increased workforce capacity by building interprofessional communities that bridge gaps to bring positive change.
Project ECHO is a teaching philosophy – “All teach, all learn.” Changing the way we approach behavioral health as a society is not a vision one person can accomplish alone. At LSFHS, in order to bring a holistic approach to our patients and clients, we begin with bringing a holistic approach to the system. Using Project ECHO, LSFHS has developed the space for professionals and communities alike to maximize their capacity for impact. We increase the capacity for our partnered networks to support much needed transformation.
ECHO brings lived experience into the same room as academic knowledge. Made possible with Zoom technology, the resulting dynamic space allows the voices of experience and information to inform each other. Through education and knowledge transference, we seek to work in collaboration with families and professionals to create realistic and effective changes in our system of care.”
Upcoming ECHO Sessions
Wraparound – Welcome to LSF’s Health System’s Behavioral Health ECHO Initiative, focusing on High Fidelity Wraparound Case Management. This program is funded by LSF Health Systems and the Department of Children and Family Services. Project ECHO is a tele-mentoring initiative that uses videoconferencing technology to combine brief expert presentations with interactive and practical case presentations from participants. This clinic offers opportunities to engage in expert-led didactic presentations, present cases, receive real-time case consultation and recommendations from area specialists, and allows participants to become part of a safe, collaborative learning community of practice. This 8 session ECHO program will build the skills and knowledge of participants. To register, click here:
REGISTER NOW
The Peer Workforce Development ECHO Clinic – This Clinic provides professional development for Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) who are new to the field. While training and certification processes vary by state and organization, SAMHSA’s Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health (2015), “…identifies the critical knowledge, skills and abilities needed by anyone who provides peer support services to people with or in recovery from a mental health or substance use condition.” To support and expand upon core competencies, this ECHO Clinic offers bi-monthly, 1.5 hour-long ECHO sessions. Each session is led by an inter-professional team of behavioral health and peer recovery specialists. This structure enhances the skills and abilities of peer specialists to assist peers in the recovery process, and facilitates connections with other peer specialists who are new to field work. The resulting opportunities to engage in expert-led didactic presentations, present cases, and receive real-time case consultation and recommendations from specialists, allow participants to become part of a safe and collaborative learning community of practice.
REGISTER NOW
How to Get Involved
If you are a primary care provider or community provider and would like to participate in the program please complete the Guest Presenter Interest form.
EMAIL: ECHO@lsfnet.org
PHONE: 904-553-0408
The Learning Loop
Hub and spoke knowledge-sharing networks create a learning loop:
- Service provider participants learn from specialists
- Service provider participants learn from each other
- Specialists learn from service provider participants as best practices emerge
Project ECHO was initially developed in New Mexico as an online methodology to support community healthcare professionals to treat individuals infected with Hepatitis C, is now a rapidly expanding global network. Project ECHO aims to democratize learning through mentoring and building communities of practice aided by multi-site video-conferencing following its Guiding Principles.
How Does ECHO Work?
Using the power of videoconferencing, primary care providers connect virtually to a multidisciplinary hub team and a network of primary care providers across Northeast Florida. Each session is called an ECHO “clinic.” A clinic typically includes a brief, 15 – 30 minute didactic, but the essence of the learning takes place over in-depth discussions of real-world cases presented by the primary and community providers. All participants in the learning network contribute to the discussion in an “all teach, all learn” model, and recommendations for practice are shared.
