ORPRN and the Oregon ECHO Network (OEN) have been named as one of nine national Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Telehealth Technology-Enabled Learning Program 2021 grantees.

ORPRN's proposal — Health Equity, Access and Quality Improvement using Project ECHO in Rural Oregon (HEAL-OR) — is a five-year project, totaling $2.375 million in funding.

Kicking off October 1, the HEAL-OR project will focus efforts in six rural counties in Oregon: Hood River, Wasco, Gilliam, Sherman, Baker and Umatilla. Nancy Elder, MD, MPH, will serve as the project’s principal investigator, and Maggie McDonnell, MPH, will serve as project director.

The project will establish a Rural Advisory Panel of primary care, behavioral health and public health clinicians to inform content of ECHO programs to assure their applicability to rural areas and to serve as champions for ECHO in their communities. Community partners Familias en Acción, Oregon Office of Rural Health, and the Oregon Primary Care Association will also participate in the advisory panel.

Additionally, the grant will fund three annual ECHO programs: Infectious Disease and Public Health; Team-based Care for Diabetes; and Team-based Care for Behavioral and Mental Health, led respectively by Anthony Cheng, MD; Eric Wiser, MD; and Jonathan Betlinski, MD.

To learn more about the Oregon ECHO Network and upcoming program offerings, visit the OEN website.