Project ECHO

Project ECHO

We want to invite you to join the new AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network.

The initiative is a collaboration between the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Project ECHO and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to advance improvements in COVID-19 preparedness, safety and infection control in nursing homes.

Our team at the University of Washington is participating in the Network as an official training center for nursing homes. We will serve as a virtual community of practice for nursing home staff to engage with experts and their peers and share cases for real-time discussion and advice.

We know that nursing home staff and professionals are dedicated to providing high-quality, safe care for residents in their facilities. Nursing home staff members who care for our seniors are among the most needed and most at-risk essential workers. Participating in the network provides nursing homes with practical information, skills and resources needed to protect both residents and staff from the virus.

Any Medicare or Medicaid-certified nursing home is eligible to participate at no cost.

Nursing homes that actively participate in the Network will receive $6,000 in compensation in recognition of the staff time involved. This reimbursement is available to those eligible to receive funding from the Provider Relive Fund and that have agreed to its terms and conditions. The vast majority of nursing homes are eligible. CME and CNE credits will also be available.

Broadly, the Network aims to address the following goals: 

  • Keep the virus from entering nursing homes where it has not entered
  • Identify residents and staff who have been infected with the virus early
  • Prevent the spread of the virus between staff, residents and visitors
  • Provide safe and appropriate care to residents with mild and asymptomatic cases
  • Ensure staff have the knowledge, skills and confidence to implement best-practice safety measures to protect residents and themselves
  • Reduce social isolation for residents, families, and staff during these difficult times

Network sessions will run for 16 weeks and use the ECHO model – an “all teach, all learn” methodology developed around case-based learning and active engagement. ECHO’s virtual guided practice approach has gained significant traction both nationally and globally as a core learning strategy for education and training in healthcare.

The curriculum, which will be updated weekly, covers a wide scope of topics related to COVID-19 response and preparedness, as well as QI methods to support ongoing testing and learning by staff.

We appreciate your deep commitment to protect your residents and staff, and we firmly believe that your participation in this initiative will support that mission-driven aim.

Below are FAQ’s outlining the objectives of the Network with this communication.

100820 Initiative Flyer

20201008_AHRQ-ECHO-IHI FAQ

Our first cohort will launch in the next 1-2 weeks. There will be three sessions each week: Tues AM, Thurs PM and Fri PM.

For more information and to express interest, please contact our team directly John Scott jdscott@uw.edu or Kevin Le at kevinple@uw.edu

 

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804