NHPCO Announces 2023 Project ECHO Offerings Focused on Health Equity

For Immediate Release
January 04, 2023

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) announced the launch of the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) tele-mentoring program, Equity Where It Matters. The first virtual session, “Advancing Equity in Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care: An Analysis of Data” will take place on Thursday, January 5, kicking off the year-long series.

The upcoming session, the first in a planned 2023 series, will focus on the recently published Hospice Through the DEI Lens report created by NHPCO’s Diversity and Advisory Council with the support of the Transcend Strategy Group to better understand perceptions of hospice and barriers to access within Black, Hispanic/Latino, and LGBTQ+ populations. The discussion will include a real-life case study and highlight the opportunities and challenges of delivering culturally competent care across the continuum of serious illness in an equitable, inclusive, and person-led manner.

Project ECHO is an innovative program designed to create virtual groups of learners by bringing together healthcare providers, subject matter experts, and the wider community using case-based learning and fostering an “all teach, all learn” approach. Recognizing that diversity expands across many dimensions of our identity, the 2023 Project ECHO curriculum focuses on inclusive topics addressing various aspects of diversity and cultural competence in healthcare. Satisfactory completion of the curriculum also offers participants the option to earn a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Hospice and Palliative care.

NHPCO recently earned recognition as an official “Superhub” of Project ECHO, joining the ranks of more than 25 organizations with the designation worldwide. As a Superhub, NHPCO facilitators are authorized to train new ECHO partners (called “hubs”) and provide technical assistance and support as the hubs continue to grow and develop their own programs.

“Project ECHO empowers providers and communities through access to knowledge. Health equity and cultural competency are at the core of high-quality care experiences and NHPCO is committed to supporting knowledge sharing with the goal of improving hospice and palliative care experiences for all. Health equity is imperative in all care but especially care during serious illness and at the end of life,” said Aparna Gupta, VP of Quality at NHPCO.

Registration for the program is free and open to the public. Register for the upcoming sessions, including the first in the series on January 5 at 3 p.m. ET, by visiting the Project ECHO page for more information.

Questions can be addressed by reaching out to innovation@nhpco.org.

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Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973