Program Information

In collaboration with Health Net, the Weitzman Institute is offering Weitzman ECHO Diabetes Management to target rural counties in California to address the high rates of diabetes. This Weitzman ECHO connects primary care medical providers and clinicians to a community of peers and subject-matter experts to improve providers' management of patients with diabetes to improve care. At each session, subject-matter experts provide guidance from a multidisciplinary team approach to address patients’ complex health needs related to diabetes to assess, treat, and manage patients with diabetes. The Weitzman ECHO Diabetes Management is a no-cost, 12-month, 12-session program beginning February 17th, 2023 and will meet for 1-hour every 3rd Friday. 

This ECHO series is now enrolling primary care medical providers and clinicians from select counties in California. All providers working in primary care settings (especially FQHCs) are encouraged to join and participate. CME, CNE, CPE, and CEU credits will be provided for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and registered dietitians, among others, by Community Health Center, Inc., an accredited provider through Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education.

Acknowledgement of Support

The Diabetes Management ECHO is supported by Health Net. 

Target Audience

This activity is appropriate for the following audiences:

• Medical Providers (MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs)

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this ECHO, participating providers should be able to:

1. Manage diabetes complications and co-morbidities more effectively in primary care and determine when a referral to a subspecialist is required.
2. Improve diabetes medication management and facilitate adherence for patients.
3. Explain care plans to patients utilizing communication skills that maximize their health literacy to improve self-management.
4. Practice cultural humility to address cultural differences in care.
5. Connect patients with services and resources in the community to address their unique health needs and social determinants of health.
6. Identify technologies for patients that will lead to better diabetes management.

Registration Information

Weitzman ECHO Diabetes Management is offered to primary care medical providers across the state of California, other care team members are welcome to enroll and participate. You should have received an access code in the program's promotional materials if you are from California. If you are from California and have not yet received an access code or have questions regarding registration, please contact us here or email Jhoselyn Jara, Education Specialist, at jaraj@chc1.com.

Where do I register? Register now by clicking on the "Register" tab at the top right of this page.  Scroll to the bottom of the page, enter the access code, and then click 'unlock'. After you click unlock, a register button should appear. Click 'register' to complete your registration. You should receive an email confirmation that you have registered in your inbox. After you register, program staff will follow up with onboarding materials so you can join the program.

The Weitzman Institute partners with local and regional stakeholders to offer state or regional Project ECHO programs. If you are interested in information on these partnerships, please reach out to us here to learn more.

FAQ

What is Project ECHO®? Project ECHO® was developed by Sanjeev Arora, MD, at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and is a collaborative model of medical education and care management that helps improve clinicians' knowledge and skills to improve patient care. ECHOs are designed to be a longer-term continuing education programs to create a virtual community for providers and care team members to connect and learn from leading experts and receive guidance from peers and experts. This ECHO learning community provides mentorship and peer support, making this model unique and providing long-lasting impact beyond typical e-learning styles. Weitzman ECHO clinics are specifically designed to meet the needs of safety net primary care providers and their communities like providers practicing in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). 

How is each ECHO session structured? Each ECHO session consists of a didactic presentation by the ECHO's expert faculty and real patient case discussion presented by participating providers. During each ECHO session, participants learn skills and receive clinical pearls from the expert faculty didactic presentation and the case discussion and recommendations.

How much does it cost to participate? Enrollment is now open at no cost for the next curriculum year.

What monetary incentives are provided to registrants? Incentives are provided to the first 50 primary care provider registrants on a first-come-first-serve basis. Registrants are eligible to receive the following:

• Lunch vouchers up to $20 per session
• $200 sign-on bonus: To receive the sign-on bonus one must register and attend at least 1 ECHO session.
• $300 engagement bonus: To receive the engagement bonus one must engage in at least 11 ECHO sessions and volunteer to present at least one case for discussion.
• Up to 12 free CME/CEs

More information about obtaining the incentives will be provided by the first session.

Who should participate? Primary care medical providers and care team members who work in California, are welcome to join and register.

When do sessions occur? This 12-month Project ECHO will occur once a month, for one hour. Our kickoff session for the aging module will occur on February 17, 2023, and sessions will occur every 3rd Friday of each month from 12pm to 1pm PT.  

What level of participation is expected of all registrants? Diabetes Management ECHO consists of 12 sessions in total. ECHO participants are expected to:

• Attend at least 50% of sessions
• Complete pre- and post- surveys
• Submit at least one case for recommendations
• Share webcams, when available
• Engage during peer case discussion

How do I join the live sessions? Do I need any special equipment? Weitzman ECHO sessions are held virtually using the Weitzman Education Platform and Zoom Video Conferencing. Access is available on any computer with an internet connection. For instruction on how to how to join the live session, follow these Step-by-step instructions: Entering a Live Session.

How do I claim credit and download my CE/CME certificate? After the live session is completed, the session evaluation will be available right in the platform. Once you complete the session evaluation, you will be able to claim your credits and download your certificate.