Tele-Mentoring Program Offers Childhood Obesity Expertise to Caregivers Statewide

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center (ChildrensOmaha.org/ProjectECHO) is improving care for Nebraska children with Project ECHO—a collaborative tele-mentoring model that connects providers across the state with Children’s specialists and leading national experts through biweekly, online educational sessions. ‘ECHO’ stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes; the virtual, educational outreach is funded with a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics Division of Innovation. Children’s was one of two projects funded nationwide, selected from 24 applications.

The Project ECHO curriculum, 15 sessions running through May 2018, focuses on issues related to childhood obesity. Each 1.5-hour virtual session includes a 15 to 20-minute presentation by a regional or national subject matter expert. Participants then discuss difficult patient cases and share expertise via guidance, feedback and education. All levels of providers throughout Nebraska are encouraged to participate—from physicians and nurses to social workers and those representing community partner organizations in community health and nutrition.

Children’s intends to expand Project ECHO’s offerings in the future to include other health conditions that face Nebraska children. To learn more, visit ChildrensOmaha.org/ProjectECHO.