About PEN-NC

What is PEN-NC?

Project ECHO Network in North Carolina (PEN-NC) is the state’s coordinated network for ECHO programs. A partnership between the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI) and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC), PEN-NC helps ECHO programs connect, collaborate, and grow to meet the current and emerging health and workforce needs across NC.

What is ECHO?

Project ECHO, orinigally developed out of the University of New Mexico, is a virtual learning model that connects local providers with expert teams. Using a “hub and spoke” design, specialists (the hub) share their knowledge through collaborative, case-based discussions with community providers (the spokes). Providers gain the skills and confidence to care for patients locally, resulting in improved access to care, reduced burden on health systems, fewer preventable hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and lower patient spending.

What is PEN-NC’s mission?

As the statewide network for Project ECHO™ in North Carolina, PEN-NC strengthens and expands ECHO programs across the state by fostering collaboration, reducing duplication, coordinating and synthesizing ECHO data to generate actionable insights, and guiding partners through the planning and long-term sustainability of their programs.

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Meet Our Team

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Our Approach

Learn More about PEN-NC!

What does PEN-NC do?

PEN-NC connects and supports Project ECHO programs across North Carolina. We help organizations and communities share knowledge and resources, coordinate ECHO activities and partnerships, evaluate ECHO programs, and develop new ECHO hub teams to address local, regional, and statewide priorities. As the statewide ECHO network, PEN-NC coordinates, manages, and synthesizes ECHO data to highlight collective impact and guide continuous improvement.

We do this by actively supporting our partners — health systems, universities, state agencies, nonprofits, and community-based organizations — who host and lead ECHO programs. We provide the tools, guidance, data, and connections so our partners can focus on what they do best: equipping providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality care in their communities. Together with our partners, PEN-NC is closing gaps in care across rural and underserved communities in North Carolina.

Who runs PEN-NC?

PEN-NC is a collaborative initiative managed by 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.

How is PEN-NC funded?

PEN-NC received initial funding from The Duke Endowment with additional support from Healthy Blue of North Carolina.

How does ECHO work in North Carolina?

North Carolina faces health workforce shortages, rising demand on local and state health systems, and limited access to specialty care, especially in rural and underserved communities. ECHO helps close these gaps by:

Disseminating expert knowledge across the state
Strengthening provider skills and confidence in delivering evidence-based care
Reducing unnecessary referrals and travel by keeping care local and close to home

The result: better patient outcomes, more knowledgeable and supported health providers, and a more efficient healthcare system.

Want to learn more?

Sign up for PEN-NC updates to be among the first to know about our next steps as we work toward launching our full membership.

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.