In 2003, a New Mexican woman lost her life to untreated hepatitis C after struggling for eight years with the disease. She couldn’t make the long drive from her rural home to Albuquerque for specialized care, highlighting a significant issue in healthcare accessibility.
This tragic event inspired the creation of Project ECHO. For over two decades, Project ECHO has connected health care professionals with communities that need help. Deborah Trevino, the Director of Communications for the program, emphasized the need for support.
“Patients shouldn’t have to wait months or travel far for care, especially given the shortage of specialists in places like New Mexico and across the U.S.,” Trevino explained. Instead, local healthcare workers who already understand their patients can be trained to provide quality care.
Project ECHO operates out of the University of New Mexico and works alongside other initiatives to improve health access. The program connects frontline healthcare workers—such as nurses and doctors—with experts through video calls. This allows caregivers to ask questions about the latest treatments and share experiences with peers in different communities.
As of now, Project ECHO has facilitated nearly 9 million sessions across 215 regions globally. More than 8,000 programs have emerged, covering a wide range of topics from opioid recovery to trauma-informed care.
What makes Project ECHO unique is its “all teach and all learn” model. This collaborative approach allows healthcare providers at various levels to learn from one another. For instance, success stories include how Nicolle Arthun, a registered nurse, used Project ECHO to create respectful healthcare structures for marginalized communities. Similarly, Dr. Ruchi Seth in Noida, India, adapted educational needs for local children through ECHO resources.
Even beyond healthcare, Project ECHO extends to fields like addiction recovery and public safety, demonstrating its wide-ranging impact. The drive is to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to quality care.
According to Trevino, “We believe that access to healthcare is a human right. Our goal is to make it available to every community, no matter how remote.”
For more insights into the transformative power of Project ECHO, you can check the Project ECHO 2025 Impact Report.
This approach highlights an ongoing shift in how healthcare is delivered, focusing on equity and local empowerment, with lessons that can be applied worldwide.
