Join Us as a Training Center

We are currently recruiting, training, and establishing training centers around the U.S. to support the AHRQ ECHO Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network. The training centers will launch this fall.

Final Training Opportunity for New Training Centers

• Immersion: Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. MT
• Orientation: Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m  MT

Sign Up for Immersion

The Project ECHO Model

The Network will use the Project ECHO model as its foundation. ECHO is an interactive, case-based approach to learning based on adult learning principles.

Weekly training sessions using videoconferencing technology are facilitated by small multidisciplinary teams of subject matter and quality improvement experts.

Sessions combine short lectures that provide immediately usable best practices with case-based group learning. 

It’s an “all teach, all learn” environment, where community providers learn from experts and each other, and specialists learn from the on-the-ground experience of community providers.

Learn more about Project ECHO

The Pivotal Role of Training Centers

Training centers are pivotal to the success of this initiative. With the goal of establishing more than 100 training centers, the Network will work with the nation’s more than 15,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes that choose to participate.

• Each training center will work with one or more cohorts of 30-35 nursing homes.
• Each cohort will meet virtually for 16-weeks this fall and winter.
• Nursing homes will participate in weekly interactive sessions run by training center teams of subject matter and quality improvement experts who will share best practices and use case-based learning to support the on-the-ground efforts of nursing home staff.
• Nursing home staff will learn from experts and each other, and the expert teams will gain valuable insight from the direct experience of providers in the community.
• Training centers will also provide rapid response mentorship for any nursing home that experiences a sudden increase in COVID-19.

Compensation

Training centers will be compensated for their participation based on the number of cohorts they operate and the number of participating nursing homes in their project.

Training Center Qualifications

Most training centers will be academic medical centers or large health systems. Both experienced Project ECHO hubs and organizations new to the model are welcome.

Other organizations, including specialty societies and provider organizations that are interested in serving as a training center may contact our team at ECHONursingHome@salud.unm.edu to explore participation.

Please note that this opportunity is only available to U.S. organizations.

Network Support for Training Centers

The Network will provide the following resources to all training centers to support the rapid development and implementation of their ECHO programs for nursing homes:

1. Virtual Immersion training in the ECHO model for new partners. Training centers new to the ECHO model will attend a virtual Immersion training. Experienced ECHO partners are welcome to send new staff as well. Additional training on the specific 16-week nursing home safety curriculum will also be provided for all training centers.
2. A comprehensive 16-week nursing home COVID-19 safety curriculum. The curriculum will be continually updated based on feedback from training center faculty and national experts as well as emerging evidence and guidance.  Curriculum materials include detailed agendas, videos, slide sets, customizable case presentations, discussion prompts, resource lists, and facilitation pointers.
3. Access to national subject matter experts and colleagues across the Network. Training Centers will have access to national experts to research and provide guidance on challenging issues.  All training center faculty will also be linked through a virtual platform and regular calls to share insights, challenges, and solutions.
4. Free access to all digital resources necessary for operating the virtual training sessions. Including iECHO and Zoom.
5. A continually updated Network resource Library. This includes both teaching and facilitation resources and implementation resources to share with nursing home teams.  

Responsibilities and Expectations 

Nursing Home Recruitment

While the Network has already begun recruiting nursing homes to participate, Project ECHO invites all training centers to contact and recruit local nursing homes that they work with to participate with them.  Project ECHO will provide each training center with a list of nursing homes in their area that have already expressed interest in participating as well as a list of eligible nursing homes in the area to support their recruitment efforts. Training centers will be responsible for coordinating with other local training centers in their area and are encouraged to work with state agencies and associations to support recruitment.  Each training center is expected to work with a minimum of one cohort of 30-35 nursing homes or as many as 200 nursing homes in six cohorts. 

Project ECHO will monitor the program to ensure all training centers are in compliance with the contract, and provide follow-up support, as necessary, to advance fidelity to the ECHO model.

If you have additional questions after reviewing this information, please direct them to: ECHONursingHome@salud.unm.edu.