Project ECHO Sunflower Health Plan
Collaborative Learning Opportunity with FREE Continuing Education:
About Project ECHO
Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a self-paced lifelong learning and guided practice model that revolutionizes medical education and exponentially increases workforce capacity to provide best-practice specialty care and reduce health disparities.
Project ECHO creates a bridge to allow collaboration and knowledge sharing. The heart of the ECHO model™ is its hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing networks, led by expert teams who use multi-point videoconferencing, such as Zoom, to conduct virtual clinics with community providers. In this way, primary care doctors, nurses, and other clinicians learn to provide excellent specialty care to patients in their own communities.
The ECHO model is not traditional “telemedicine” where the specialist assumes care of the patient, but is instead tele-mentoring, a guided practice model where the participating clinician retains responsibility for managing the patient.
Project ECHO is not just a learning and mentoring network; it is also a professional community. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, provide input and guidance to one another, and engage actively in discussions, both during and after a session.
For more information please visit the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico's Health Science Center.
Four principles comprise the Project ECHO model. The combination of these principles results in a unique and successful approach for improving clinician satisfaction, enhancing clinician knowledge and self-efficacy, and improving patient satisfaction and outcomes:
- Amplification: Use technology to leverage the expertise of a multidisciplinary team.
- Best Practices: Share best practices to reduce disparities and standardize care.
- Case-Based Learning: Leverage case-based learning and guided practice to master complex cases.
- Database: Apply web-based tools to monitor outcomes.
What is a hub?
A regional center where a team of subject matter experts for an ECHO program is located, replicates the ECHO Model™ and runs their own ECHO program. Sunflower Health Plan is a Project ECHO hub.
What is a Case Study?
Project ECHO is a case-based learning option for care providers. A case is an overview of an individual’s medical history and overall health.
How much does it cost to participate?
Participation is free. You generally only need to have standard internet connections and a computer.
Is continuing education available?
Case by case basis depending on the program. This information will be listed for each ECHO series.
How is patient or member information protected?
All the patient/member information presented in a session are de-identified and reviewed before the session. A HIPAA announcement is given prior to the start of each session to remind both specialists and clinicians about the importance of preserving patient confidentiality.
Who should participate?
Individual clinicians of all levels are welcome and highly encouraged to participate in sessions, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, community health workers and pharmacists. Team participation is encouraged, as team-based care is the ideal model for enabling higher-level care delivery and task shifting.
Sunflower Health Plan Project ECHO Team
Mohamed Radhi, MD; Nan Perrin, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA; Kristine Meier
- Nanette Perrin, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, Senior Director of LifeShare & Social Determinants of Health
- Mohamed Radhi, MD, Medical Director, Medical Management, Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant
- Ulisa Diane Buckingham, MD, Medical Director, Medical Affairs, Child, Adolescent, & Adult Psychiatrist, Behavioral Health
- Deborah Rear, RN, BSN, MBA, Senior Manager, Case Management
- Kristine Meier, MSEd, BCBA, Transitions of Care Coordinator, Program Manager
- Kelley Hotaling, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist
- Aaron Dold, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist
Contact: projectECHO@sunflowerhealthplan.com
Accreditation
The University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine, designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Midwest Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 1.0 contact hour will be awarded to all individuals who successfully complete this activity.
Successful Completion
Successful completion of this activity — includes participating in the educational offering, the evaluation process and completing the verification of attendance — enables the learner to satisfy the requirements for continuing education.
Sunflower Project ECHO: Closing the Gap: Special Healthcare Needs
We invite you to attend this series, which will focus on:
- Broadening understanding of the need for a coordinated, collaborative effort to increase accessibility.
- Broadening understanding of resources for lower income, poverty level, or rural populations.
- Understanding how to access support systems and services within the state.
Please plan to attend our Project ECHO sessions on Thursdays in March 2025, from 12:00-1:00 PM CT via Zoom video conferencing.
Topics include:
- March 6, 2025, - Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Behavioral Health Grant – Nicole Kanaman, GoodLife Innovations, Inc.
- March 13, 2025, - Financial Planning and ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Accounts – Kacy Seitz, Northwestern Mutual
- March 20, 2025, - Parent/Caregiver Support – Stephanie Coleman, Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND)
- March 27, 2025, - Guardianship for Adults with Disabilities – Nancy Mayberry, Kansas Guardianship Program
Dates to vary by speaker availability.
March 6, 2025, - Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Behavioral Health Grant (PDF) – Nicole Kanaman, GoodLife Innovations, Inc.
Case Study Recommendations
- Consider developing an Individual Justice Plan (IJP) across agencies so that all agencies, including Law Enforcement, are responding in a consistent manner
- Ensure collaboration between the state hospital medication provider and the local medication provider
- Continue to encourage collaboration across agencies and specialties
- Consider pharmacogenomic testing to help with informing medication provider on medication that may be more efficient for the individual
- Consider referring for peer supports through the local mental health center
- Connect member with the Self Advocate Coalition of KS (SACK) for advocacy opportunities
- Sunflower has Member Advisory Committees that members can participate in, SACK can help individuals participate in this if they need support
- Goodlife Behavioral Support Training- provider/agency can sign up to receive additional behavior supports training
- https://mygoodlife.org/behavior-training/
March 13, 2025, - Financial Planning and ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Accounts (PDF) – Kacy Seitz, Northwestern Mutual
Case Study Recommendations
- Offer to see a BH provider via telehealth since the individual responds well to this method
- Connect individual with employment resources to explore what is possible
- Working Health Benefits Specialist to discuss benefits- https://www.kancare.ks.gov/members/benefits-services/working-healthy/benefits-specialists
- Vocational Rehabilitation- https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/rs/pages/employment-services.aspx
- Depending on if the individual qualifies for SSDI, they may be eligible to be on the Working Health program- https://www.kancare.ks.gov/members/benefits-services/working-healthy
- Utilize person-centered strategies to develop goals with the individual
- Revisit pulling in behavior supports to work with the provider on developing function-based interventions:
- Connect with the CMHC for other community-based supports member can access, sich as case management and/or peer supports
- Connect family with an organization, such as NAMI, for supports- https://www.nami.org/
- Special Needs Planning resources:
March 20, 2025 - Parent/Caregiver Support (PDF) – Stephanie Coleman,
Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND)
Case Study Recommendations:
- See attached flyer for upcoming Person-Centered Transformation Regional Events across the state
- Explore if member would enjoy pre-recorded music when grandpa is not available to play the piano
- Explore resources/supports through Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation.
- Consider using LifeCourse or PCT tools for transition planning
- Work with the child placing agency to establish respite supports on a regular basis to give grandparents that break
- Review services he is receiving through homebound school services. Can he access other therapies, such as music therapy?
- Families Together may be a helpful resource for the caregivers.
March 27, 2025, - Guardianship for Adults with Disabilities (PDF) – Nancy Mayberry, Kansas Guardianship Program
Case Study Recommendations
- Topamax could be contributing to the appetite suppression. Be aware of this with his weight loss
- Consider a referral for nutrition counseling to provide member and guardian education on strategies to increase calorie intake, ie:
- Looking at calorie-dense foods
- Looking at nutritional supplements/shakes to increase calories
- Requesting high calorie meals from the home-delivered meals service
- Consider reaching out to individuals he knows in the community, ie. church, the fire station where he volunteers, for anyone who might be willing to assist in a backup guardian capacity
- Have the member actively participate in his goal-planning, using person-centered tools. Encourage member to be a part of managing his healthcare.
- Consider using LifeCourse tools (PDF), such as the One Page Profile to develop communication tools for member to use with providers - allow some of the knowledge held by the guardian to be documented. This can be used in conjunction with the Participant Interest Inventory (PII).
- Consider a plan to transition supports from guardian to formal supports, such as PCS. Start with one activity that a worker does and create a transition plan to increase those supports overtime.
Register for the Sunflower Project ECHO: Youth Behavioral Heath Services
Note: After registering you will be given the opportunity to save the series to your calendar of choice. You will also receive an invite via email.
Please do not forward your invite, as it is specific to each person.
To receive clinician continuing education credit from the University of Missouri or certificate of completion from Sunflower Health Plan, each participant must register individually.
Previous Series
Presentations and recommendations for previous Project ECHO sessions can be found on the Project ECHO archive page.