ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) transforms the way rural, underserved communities learn and share knowledge. Coordinated by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, ECHO provides a virtual network for experts to mentor and share their medical expertise. Current topics include opioids and hypertension.

Course Selection

Asthma

SIU Asthma ECHO aims to improve asthma management for patients by providing healthcare providers, administrators, and executives insights on reducing hospital admissions and readmissions for Asthma and creating a network of providers in the region working together to improve care for patients with Asthma.

  1. Multipoint video conferencing
  2. Best practices protocol
  3. Case-based learning

Hypertension

In this ECHO, participants will learn to:

  1. Master clinically essential topics that will enhance practitioners' ability to diagnose hypertension, risk-stratify patients accurately and more effectively control hypertension
  2. Provide a risk stratification framework specifically for patients with severe blood pressure elevations to guide therapeutic decision-making regarding anti-hypertensive drug therapy's type, timing, and location.

Opioids

Facilitated by SIU Medicine's multidisciplinary team including an addiction specialist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker and a Data-2000 waivered clinician working in a federally qualified health center (FQHC), this ECHO is designed to:

  1. Increase the number of providers with a Data-2000 waiver, also known as the Buprenorphine Waiver Program or x-waiver, in Illinois counties that have few or no medication-assisted treatment services
  2. Engage clinicians who have received Data-2000 waivers but are not using them to treat patients by mitigating perceived barriers.

Clinician participants are strongly encouraged to identify local behavioral health partners to participate in the Opioids ECHO with them.

Memory and Aging

Facilitated by specialists at the Smith Alzheimer's Center at SIU Medicine's team, this ECHO is designed to:

  1. Increase knowledge about Alzheimer's and the various types of dementia, effective communication strategies, behavior management, as well as topics intended to provide support for caregivers.
  2. Provide an encompassing view of the disease and the effects it can have on the patient, caregivers and extended network. Not only are clinicians from the Smith Alzheimer's Center presenting, but experts in law, movement disorders, government and other fields provide perspective outside of the clinic.
Select Your Desired Course(s)
Participant Information
Facility Information