Many voices, One plan

What is Project ECHO?

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a movement to demonopolize expert knowledge and amplify local capacity to provide best practice care for underserved people all over the world. The ECHO model™ is committed to addressing the needs of populations disproportionally impacted by certain health conditions by equipping communities with the right knowledge, at the right place, at the right time.

Launched in 2003, Project ECHO grew out of one doctor’s vision. Sanjeev Arora, M.D., a social innovator and liver disease specialist at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, was frustrated that he could serve only a fraction of the hepatitis C patients in the state. He wanted to serve as many patients with hepatitis C as possible, so he created a no cost, virtual mentoring platform and mentored community providers across New Mexico in how to treat the condition. The ECHO model is a telementoring, guided practice model where the participating clinician retains responsibility for managing the patient. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that hepatitis C care provided by Project ECHO trained community providers resulted in outcomes equal to those provided by specialists at a university.

How do I participate in the Tennessee Department of Health’s Hepatitis C Virus Project ECHO?

1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month

12pm–1pm Central
1pm–2pm Eastern

What is the Tennessee Department of Health's Project ECHO?

We are aiming to build a community of practice to share awareness, education, and resources given that hepatitis C cases are on the rise in Tennessee and are most pronounced in people of reproductive age. The Tennessee Department of Health Hepatitis C Virus Project ECHO will focus on building treatment capacity for adults living with hepatitis C among Primary Care Providers, building treatment capacity for pediatric hepatitis C among Pediatricians, Family Physicians and Family Nurse Practitioners, and building hepatitis C treatment capacity to treat postpartum persons for interested Obstetrician-Gynecologists and Family Physicians who provide obstetric care.

We will bring together several subject matter experts (SMEs) with adult hepatitis C, pediatric hepatitis C, and pharmacy expertise to discuss case presentations submitted by you.  

The SMEs will also provide brief didactic presentations at each session including the topics below.

•Linkage to Care and Hepatitis C Virus Resources for Adults 

•Linkage to Care and Hepatitis C Virus Resources for Children 

•Initial Hepatitis C Virus Evaluation for Adults 

•Initial Hepatitis C Virus Evaluation for Postpartum Persons and Children 

•Initial Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Selection for Adults 

•Initial Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Selection for Children 

•Treatment Evaluation and Management for Post-Treatment Monitoring for Adults 

•Treatment Evaluation and Management for Post-Treatment Monitoring for Postpartum Persons and Children 

•Presentation topics submitted by you!

Meet Your Subject Matter Experts

Dr. Cody Chastain
(Adult Hepatitis C)

Dr. Ligia Alfaro Cruz
(Pediatric Hepatitis C)

Dr. Clark Allen
(Pharmacy)

Dr. Cody Chastain (Adult Hepatitis C)

Dr. Ligia Alfaro Cruz (Pediatric Hepatitis C)

Dr. Clark Allen (Pharmacy)

Meet Your Tennessee Department of Health Team

Picture
Lindsay Zimmerman
Headshot
Thunwa Klaihathai
SRoberts Headshot
Shamia Roberts
Melissa Moon
Melissa Moon
Laura Price
Laura Price
Anastasia Cajigal
Anastasia Cajigal

Contact us at ECHO.TN@tn.gov

Is the Tennessee Department of Health’s Project ECHO accredited?

CME
In support of improving patient care, Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credential Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. SE AETC designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CNE and ACPE
In support of improving patient care, Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center jointly accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the
American Nurses Credential Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

SW
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center is approved to offer social work
continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.
Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the
final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. [Southeast
AETC] maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education
credits.

Additional Resources

Interested in additional hepatitis C resources, including patient education materials and a map of hepatitis C treatment providers in Tennessee?