Bridging the gap: Project ECHO releases seven-year report on rural health impact

HERSHEY, Pa. — For many families living in rural Pennsylvania, getting help for a complex medical issue often means facing long wait times and driving hours to see a specialist. Over the last seven years, a Penn State initiative has worked to help change that reality by moving knowledge instead of patients.

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health care Outcomes) at Penn State College of Medicine recently released its Seven-Year Impact Report (2018-25). The publication highlights how an innovative idea to connect frontline community providers with university specialists has grown into a massive, statewide network of shared learning and better patient care.

"When Project ECHO launched at Penn State in 2018, we began with a bold idea: geography should never determine the quality of health care a person receives," said Jennifer Kraschnewski, director of both Project ECHO at Penn State College of Medicine and the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute. "What if every community had access to the latest medical knowledge instead of keeping it confined to academic centers and journals?"

Moving knowledge, not patients

At its core, the program uses a virtual tele-mentoring model originally developed at the University of New Mexico. Through interactive video sessions, local doctors, nurses, educators and community health workers meet with subject-matter experts to discuss real-world cases. Guided by the principle that "everyone learns, and everyone teaches," local providers gain the skills and confidence they need to treat complex conditions right in their own communities.

"Primary care providers working in remote areas have some of the most important positions in health care; however, their jobs can be especially challenging due to a scarcity of resources and local specialists," said Cynthia Chuang, professor of medicine and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, who leads the Empowering Rural Primary Care Through Online Collaboration ECHO program. "This ECHO series brings these primary care providers and specialists together to learn about the newest medical innovations and how to bring them to their communities and patients."

Tackling persistent health challenges

Since launching its first session, Project ECHO at Penn State has experienced explosive growth. The initiative has expanded to 83 unique programs, reaching participants in 66 counties across Pennsylvania, 41 states, and 16 countries. Along the way, it has attracted $12.8 million in direct funding and helped professionals earn more than 6,400 continuing education credits.

The newly published report dives into how this model addresses some of the state's most stubborn challenges. In rural areas hit hard by the opioid epidemic, for example, local providers often lack the mentorship needed to confidently prescribe life-saving treatments. The network’s addiction medicine programs have supported more than 1,135 providers, helping them break through professional isolation and deliver compassionate care close to home.

"I have loved helping busy clinicians simplify complicated problems with patients," said Sarah Kawasaki, director of addiction services at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, who leads the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) ECHO. "Debunking myths and stereotypes is often an unwritten job description for an addiction medicine specialist. Being able to disseminate evidence-based information on a large scale, like Project ECHO, has been extremely fulfilling and impactful."

Beyond clinical and addiction medicine, the report also details Project ECHO's impact on behavioral health, emerging health threats, workforce development and education. Whether it is helping school teachers support student mental health or training community health workers to navigate local resources, the network is building stronger, more resilient communities.

Access the full report

The full Project ECHO at Penn State Seven-Year Report is available to the public. Readers can explore the interactive flip-book or download an accessible PDF version on Project ECHO's website.