Project ECHO

According to the National Institutes of Health, Hispanics are not only the largest minority group in the United States, but they also have the highest incidence of diabetes regardless of age.  Among Hispanics, migrant and immigrant farmworkers specifically face added barriers to access health care. 

To address this disparity, Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) developed a six-session ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) virtual series around Type 2 Diabetes specifically geared towards community health workers/promotores de salud, case managers, outreach workers, health educators, patient navigators, and advocates working in Federally Qualified Health Centers and providing care to migrant and immigrant farmworker communities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Since 2017, MCN’s highly popular Diabetes ECHO, conducted entirely in Spanish, has provided hundreds of health center staff an in-depth clinical look at Type 2 Diabetes, including how social determinants of health affect access to care. MCN’s Diabetes ECHO is a highly interactive series in which various health care experts in diabetes and health engage directly with participants, who in turn support each other. 

MCN would like to invite members of the health care team to apply to participate in this year’s Diabetes ECHO series. The entire six-session series will be provided exclusively in Spanish. Topics include: an overview of Type 2 Diabetes; diabetes and nutrition; diabetes complications, treatment & medications; and other specific concerns. We encourage all to apply, however, priority will be given to those who are currently working in a Federally Qualified Health Center.

Individuals must apply to take part in the series. We will begin accepting applications on Thursday, December 19^th and will select around 30 individuals to comprise the 2025 Diabetes ECHO cohort. The series is scheduled to take place for six consecutive Thursdays beginning Thursday, January 30^th. Each session will be 1.5 hours in length. This is a highly interactive and engaging series. Participants will be expected to be present at every session, bring forth case studies, and offer input. There will be a homework component for some of the sessions and all materials including recordings, Power Point presentations, guides, and other resources will be shared with the group.

Presented by:

Martha Alvarado, BS Martha Alvarado joined Migrant Clinicians Network in 2015 and is the Program Manager of Online Education and Evaluation. For the last 5 years, Martha has coordinated and been an integral part of the implementation of MCN's "ECHO Diabetes and Hypertension" Spanish series. These series are designed specifically for community health workers and promotoras de salud in rural and underserved areas to help address the specific needs of the populations they serve. Martha plays a key role in the coordination, development, and delivery of MCN's virtual and face-to-face trainings across all programs. She is bilingual (English and Spanish).

Lois Wessel, DNP, FNP-BC Lois Wessel, DNP is a family nurse practitioner who focuses on caring for the underserved. She is bilingual (English - Spanish) and works clinically with immigrant communities. She has experience training providers in the areas of oral health, health literacy, environmental health, group medical appointments, rural health, and team-based care.

The series will begin January 30th and take place for six consecutive weeks.
Thirty positions will comprise MCN’s 2025 ECHO Diabetes cohort of learners.

Applications will be reviewed based on:

1) the applicant’s role within the healthcare team,
2) interest in participating,
3) ability to attend most if not all sessions,
4) willingness to complete all homework assignments including any surveys, evaluations, or polls.

This is a highly interactive and engaging series. Participants will be expected to engage in every session, bring forth case studies, and offer input. There will be a homework component for some of the sessions and all materials including recordings, Power Point presentations, guides, and other resources will be shared with all members of the 2025 cohort.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,204,180.00 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.