Capito, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Increase Health Care Training in Remote and Rural Areas

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Last week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) in introducing the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Reauthorization Act , which will increase access to high-quality health care in hard-to-reach areas. The bill reauthorizes funding for an innovative medical education program that deploys interactive videoconferencing to link specialist teams with primary care providers in rural areas, helping rural and remote communities access the health care services they otherwise would not be able to receive. “Project ECHO is an invaluable tool for health outcomes in West Virginia and across the nation, especially in our rural areas. It provides training for primary care doctors, nurses, and other clinicians to deliver excellent specialty care to patients close to home, directly in their communities. As more breakthroughs occur in treating chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, Project ECHO offers clinicians the knowledge they need to diagnosis and treat their patients effectively. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to bring this reauthorization effort forward,” Senator Capito said. DETAILS: The ECHO program grants will continue to be used for: Equipment to support the use and expansion of the models, including for the secure exchange of electronic health information; Support for health care providers that provide services under these models; Instructional programming and training; and Information collection and evaluation activities to study the impact of such models. # # #