Projects

Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., a CVS Health® company, financially supported a first-of-its-kind statewide collaboration to address maternal mortality in NC. The recently formed North Carolina Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Network (NC PSUD Network), originally funded last year through a grant from Aetna, works to improve PSUD treatment and access to care. This year, Aetna bolstered its support of the NC PSUD Network by funding the Network’s first Perinatal Substance Use Disorder ECHO program. The Evidence Based Management of Perinatal Substance Use Disorders ECHO™ will help reduce health disparities for pregnant and postpartum people by increasing access to evidence-based substance use disorder care and treatment. The Governor’s Institute partnered with PEN-NC to provide technical assistance, evaluation support, quality improvement, and sustainability planning to the project. Monthly ECHO sessions are offered between October 21, 2025 to May 19, 2026, with plans to replicate the ECHO model across other NC PSUD Network hub organizations.

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.

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.

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!