Paid Sponsorship by the Northeast Ohio Medical University
The Integrated Care at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) Project ECHO program (IC@N) is enhancing the integration of primary and mental health care by partnering with family physicians and other health care providers practicing in communities throughout Ohio to improve the health and quality of life of individuals and families.
IC@N is an interprofessional virtual learning community that supports the workforce and enhances and expands its capacity to deliver integrated primary and mental health care. IC@N is based on the Project ECHO model for distance learning and consultation developed at the University of New Mexico that has been replicated in communities around the globe to increase the capacity of local clinicians to address multiple specialized health conditions in their home communities.
Project ECHO creates virtual learning communities by combining the best elements of grand rounds, learning community, and telemedicine consultation – and brings multidisciplinary experts from multiple locations together simultaneously for brief lectures, case consultation, and case-based learning. Project ECHO has demonstrated reductions in feelings of professional isolation, and offers physicians and other health care providers an increased sense of professional community and enhanced capacity to develop specialized knowledge to manage complex conditions. The IC@N ECHO network creates an opportunity for physicians and other health care providers to learn collaboratively and to share clinical experience and wisdom.
“I think it is an incredible resource to have psychiatrists, primary care physicians, psychologists, and pharmacists available for discussion of cases and presentation of topics,” says Pedro Ballester, MD, a family physician from Warren, OH. “It should be a mandatory resource/class for senior medical students and primary care residents. Where else can get all of these professionals together to discuss a real life case?”
“I have found the ECHO meetings to be very helpful and enlightening. I especially like that they are one hour in length and the presentations on the different topics are 20-30 minutes, thus providing great, useable information that can quickly be referred to as needed in the future. I have accessed the presentation material several times during supervision in order to enhance treatment approaches and/or clinician knowledge. The presenter gets right to the point with useful information,” says Christine Oleniacz, MA, LPCC.
“In addition, I have found the case presentations to be rewarding as well. Whether we are presenting a case or listening to a case and providing feedback, the discussions are full of rich information. It is valuable to hear different perspectives from different disciplines. The discussions truly are an integrated approach to care,” adds Ms. Oleniacz.
- Enhanced capacity (confidence and ability) to manage complex, community-based mental health, substance use, and co-morbid conditions
- Real time and written recommendations for cases presented
- No-cost continuing medical education credit (American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award Category 1) for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners
- No-cost continuing education (1.0 CE) and continuing professional education (1.0 CPE) credits for the healthcare team (Ohio licensed registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, psychologists, counselors, and social workers).
IC@N sessions take place every Friday virtually using Zoom from Noon – 1 p.m. EST. Check out the schedule and past sessions by visiting the library guide. To join IC@N Project ECHO network, send an email to IntegratedCareECHO@neomed.edu.
The IC@N Project ECHO is a public service offered by the Best Practices in Schizophrenia Treatment (BeST) Center at NEOMED. To learn more, visit www.neomed.edu/bestcenter.