Projects

Learn more about our current and future projects!

Project ECHO™: Navigating Dementia Care Together

With in-kind funding through our current Duke Endowment grant, PEN-NC is supporting a new Project ECHO program in Eastern NC. Project ECHO™: Navigating Dementia Care Together will bring together interprofessional learners and subject matter experts from ECU Health, Duke University School of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, and more to share and learn best practices in caring for patients living with Dementia. Across 10 bi-weekly sessions between February 10 to June 23, 2026, this ECHO will enhance access to early, evidence-based Dementia care for patients and families by cultivating an interprofessional, dementia-friendly community of practice in Eastern NC. Project ECHO™: Navigating Dementia Care Together is a collaboration between Eastern AHEC, Southern Regional AHEC, Campbell University, NC Division of Aging, the Institute for Public Health Innovation, Hdreach, and UNC School of Medicine.

Evidence Based Management of Perinatal Substance Use Disorders ECHO™

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United Healthcare Community Plan

Through a 2026 investment opportunity by United Healthcare’s Community Plan, PEN-NC will help launch four new ECHO programs to address regional mental health needs across Eastern and Western NC. With guidance and expertise from MAHEC and Eastern AHEC, PEN-NC will coordinate local partnerships, facilitate project planning, lead the evaluation, and promote cross-regional learning between ECHO programs. These ECHOs will help build the capacity of local primary care providers, direct support workers, and family members/caregivers in providing evidence-based, trauma-informed care and support to people experiencing mental health challenges. Project planning will begin mid-2026, with an anticipated ECHO launch in January 2027.

Coordinating statewide ECHO evaluation

PEN-NC is coordinating an innovative, statewide evaluation to better understand the reach, distribution, and impact of Project ECHO programs across NC. PEN-NC works with ECHO hub teams to align evaluation strategies, coordinate data collection and sharing, and synthesize findings across programs. This effort will strengthen shared learning across the ECHO landscape, demonstrate collective impact, inform collaboration, and guide the development of new ECHO programs. Through a coordinated statewide evaluation, PEN-NC can equip partners with data to drive decision-making, highlight success stories, and support the long-term sustainability of ECHO programs statewide.

2026 PEN-NC Summit

Building on the momentum and success of the inaugural PEN-NC Summit, Connect NC, the 2026 PEN-NC Summit will deepen collaboration, strengthen connections, and foster shared learning between partners across the state. This all-day event will provide opportunities to exchange best practices in ECHO implementation, explore innovative approaches to address local, regional, and statewide health and workforce priorities, and shape the future direction of PEN-NC and ECHO in North Carolina. The 2026 PEN-NC Summit will launch in Fall 2026. Stay tuned for more details!

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The Project Echo Network in North Carolina (PEN-NC) is a partnership between the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI) and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC), with funding and support from The Duke Endowment, based on the Project ECHO model developed out of the University of New Mexico.