Penn State’s Project ECHO team attends MetaECHO global conference

In 2023 Project ECHO celebrated its 20th anniversary along with the return of its annual conference, MetaECHO. The institute’s first gathering since 2019, MetaECHO 2023 was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and hosted attendees from around the world for an immersive experience featuring 600 speakers and 451 presentations. In addition to attending general sessions, Penn State’s team gave three presentations, participated in two panel discussions, took part in one keynote session, led one workshop, and presented five posters.

Lively discussion throughout the three-day event focused on transforming healthcare across the globe. A new, historic partnership between Project ECHO and the World Health Organization (WHO) was announced, establishing the creation of the WHO Collaboration Center for Digital Learning in Health Emergencies.

Penn State ECHO team members had the opportunity to connect with the ECHO community, nurture relationships, increase expertise, and reflect on the ECHO mission. “The most inspirational part of attending MetaECHO was seeing the impact of the ECHO movement,” says Research Project Manager, Laura Felix, Project ECHO at Penn State. “There were ECHO teams from all over the world utilizing ECHO in the most interesting and exciting ways. ‘All teach, all learn’ doesn’t apply to just ECHO sessions, but the entire MetaECHO community and I learned so much from other ECHO hubs at the conference.”

“MetaECHO reinforced the value and impact of Project ECHO worldwide and at Penn State. Seeing such a large audience with so much passion for the work being done was inspiring and humbling,” adds Education and Operations Manager, Jackie Sabol, MEd, Project ECHO at Penn State. “The educational opportunities we facilitate help to empower others and transform outcomes. MetaECHO highlighted the ‘why’ in the work we do and gave me a renewed sense of commitment to our mission.”

Watch Jennifer Kraschnewski, MD, MPH, Director Penn State Project ECHO and William Calo, PhD, JD, MPH, Implementation Research Director Penn State Project ECHO participate in the MetaECHO 2024 plenary panel, “The Ins and Outs of ECHO Research and Evaluation” at the MetaECHO 2023 Global Conference.

About The ECHO Institute

Founded in 2003, Project ECHO is a global nonprofit that empowers practitioners and professionals in rural and underserved areas to reduce disparities and improve the well-being of people in the communities where they live. ECHO’s free, virtual mentoring model addresses some of the world’s greatest challenges in health care, education and more, with a mission to touch 1 billion lives by 2025.

Watch this video to learn if ECHO is right for you

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