Join the Project ECHO Network in North Carolina for our inaugural summit in 2025

Register for the 2025 Summit

When: April 24, 2025 | 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Where: NC Rural Center, 4021 Carya Dr #160, Raleigh, NC 27610

PEN-NC is happy to offer free admission to individuals who cannot afford the registration fee. For more information and to request free admission to the 2025 PEN-NC Summit, please contact Lucas Griffin at lucas.griffin@foundationhli.org.

Summit Agenda

Registration and Breakfast

Welcome

• Patrick Woodie | NC Rural Center
  
• Hugh Tilson, JD | NC AHEC

Keynote Address

• Kristin Sohl, MD, FAAP | Show Me ECHO Missouri and ECHO Autism

Panel: NC Project ECHO Programs Promoting Connections

• Nicole Dreiling, PhD | TEACCH Autism ECHO for Primary Care
  
• Sara Matherly, PhD | TEACCH Autism ECHO for Mental Health
  
• Claire Mills, MPH, RN | Eastern AHEC Perinatal Health ECHO
• Julie Davis, Vaya Health Family Partner | NC Family Support ECHO

Overview: The Project ECHO Network in North Carolina

Gallery Walk: Project ECHO Program Posters

Lunch and Networking

Tabletop Discussions

• Aging
• Behavioral Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Evaluation and Data
• ECHO Recruitment
• Rapid Response to Emerging Needs and Emergencies

Panel: Building a Unified Vision for ECHO in North Carolina

• Kristin Sohl, MD, FAAP
  
• Andrew Clendenin | NC DHHS DHB
  
• Andy MacCracken | NC Center on the Workforce for Health
• Eric Harbour, MPH | WellCare Health Plans

Closing Remarks

2025 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kristin Sohl

Dr. Kristin Sohl

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Kristin Sohl is a distinguished pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri. As the Founder and Executive Director of ECHO Autism Communities, she spearheads efforts to improve access to high-quality screening, evaluation, and longitudinal support for individuals on the autism spectrum, particularly in underserved and rural populations. Under her leadership, ECHO Autism Communities has established partnerships with over 50 children’s hospitals and autism centers across the U.S. and 30 international locations, creating a vast network of professionals committed to enhancing autism and disability services and research.

An influential advocate for children’s health, Dr. Sohl is the Immediate Past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Missouri Chapter, and chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics Autism Subcommittee within the Council on Children with Disabilities. She also serves as the Medical Director for the MU Missouri Telehealth Network and the MU Office of Continuing Education for Health Professions. Dr. Sohl earned her medical degree and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Missouri. She is passionate about engaging other healthcare professionals to elevate the discourse on children’s health and well-being.

2024 Summit Speakers and Panelists

Dr. Nicole Dreiling

Panelist

Nicole Ginn Dreiling, PhD is a Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Medicine and the clinical director of the Raleigh TEACCH Center, which is part of the statewide TEACCH program that serves autistic children and adults and their families. She completed her clinical internship at the Mailman Center for Child Development in Miami, FL and received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Florida. Her clinical and research interests include treatment outcomes for autistic young children with difficult to manage or aggressive behaviors as well as the use of teleconsultation (e.g., Project ECHO) to train rural professionals on identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

Dr. Sara Matherly

Panelist

Sara Matherly, PhD is a licensed psychologist from the Raleigh TEACCH Autism Program which is part of UNC Chapel Hill’s Department of Psychiatry. She received her doctorate in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina and specializes in the identification of autism spectrum disorder as part of comprehensive psychological evaluations. She also has extensive training in evidence-based practices to support autistic individuals and their families. In addition to these clinical practices, she facilitates UNC Project ECHO Autism for mental health providers across the state of North Carolina to increase their knowledge of autism and how to tailor intervention services. She is interested in early childhood and school-age populations and supporting families in care coordination and service delivery across the lifespan and across agencies.

Claire Mills

Panelist

Claire Mills, BSN, MPH is the Director of the Elizabeth City Office for Eastern AHEC, part of the NC AHEC Program. She joined Eastern AHEC in 2012 after more than thirty-five years of experience in rural health care from clinical nursing to small hospital administration. Claire also leads North Carolina AHEC’s Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) Initiative to build capacity in Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) statewide to support Healthy NC 2030 and the NC State Health Improvement Plan (NC SHIP). Claire holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from East Carolina University and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Certified Results-Based Accountability™ Professional. 

Andrew Clendenin

Panelist

Andrew Clendenin, MSW serves as the Deputy Director of Population Health at North Carolina Medicaid. Andrew’s background and passion center on improving health outcomes in underserved populations.  He is accomplished in program design from concept to launch, and in leading teams to achieve success.

Previously, Andrew was employed by Optum, serving as the Dual Special Needs Plans Director of Behavioral Health and Executive Director of Behavioral Health for the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. Prior to Optum, Andrew worked for the Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) enterprise, serving as Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Innovation, leading both care management and clinical programs. Andrew joined CCNC in 2016 as the Director of Behavioral Health and was previously the Director of Integrated Programs at Community Care of the Sandhills where he led quality improvement, pediatrics, maternal health and behavioral health programs.  Early in his career, Andrew worked in a community hospital setting, Moore County (NC) Department of Social Services and as a high school special education teacher and coach.  

Andrew holds a BA in Sociology and an MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Eric Harbour

Panelist

Eric Harbour, LCSW, MSW, MPH is currently the Behavioral Health Director at WellCare of North Carolina. In this role he works to improve behavioral health and care integration for members through oversight of behavioral health operations and support to all departments within WellCare. Additionally, he partners with external stakeholders to develop strategic pilots to advance value based payment models and drive system level improvements in care. Prior to this position, he served for seven years as the Child and Family Behavioral Health Lead at the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services at NC DHHS. Prior to time with DHHS, he worked for 11 years at Easter Seals UCP NC where he served in various clinical and programmatic senior leadership roles. Eric is a licensed clinical social worker and holds master’s degrees in social work and public Health.

Andy MacCracken

Panelist

Andy MacCracken, MPA is the inaugural director of the NC Center on the Workforce for Health. In that role, he leads collaborative efforts to develop and deploy statewide strategies that tackle today’s severe health workforce shortages and prepare for the future. Andy joined the Center from the NC Pandemic Recovery Office, where he drove policy and research initiatives and managed $200 million in programs supporting the state’s education, workforce, and health needs. He previously cofounded and served as executive director of a national postsecondary education policy organization. Andy has an MPA and BA, both from American University in Washington, DC. He serves on the boards of directors of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the KJS Legacy Project.

2025 Summit Call for Posters

The Project ECHO® Network of NC (PEN-NC) Summit is designed to convene diverse stakeholders across NC through an all-day networking and capacity building event. During this Summit, PEN-NC will facilitate various strategic planning activities to inform our decision-making moving forward, amplify evidence-based practices to scale and sustain Project ECHO® programs, and highlight the numerous successes of Project ECHO® Programs in improving access to quality care across rural and underserved communities.

To highlight these successes, PEN-NC will showcase up to twelve Project ECHO® themed posters at the Summit. These posters will be prominently displayed within the venue, providing opportunities for Summit attendees to interact with your poster. While you aren’t expected to give a formal presentation, there will be opportunities to engage with attendees and share additional insights towards your poster.

Topics of Interest

Poster presentations must be specific to Project ECHO® programs in NC but aren’t limited to any single health topic or area of focus.

Who Should Submit a Proposal? 

This call for posters is open to anyone with previous or current experience with Project ECHO® programs, including ECHO® hub organizations, spoke participants, researchers, and subject matter experts.

Important Dates

Application deadline: February 24, 2025

Notification of acceptance: March 10, 2025

PEN-NC Summit: April 24, 2025

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