Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO
Sunshine Health has partnered with Project ECHO to offer collaborative education to our providers via tele-mentoring.
Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a self-paced lifelong learning and guided practice model that revolutionizes medical education and exponentially increases workforce capacity to provide best-practice specialty care and reduce health disparities.
Project ECHO creates a bridge to allow collaboration and knowledge sharing. The heart of the ECHO Model™ is its hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing networks, led by expert teams who conduct virtual clinics with community providers. This allows primary care doctors, nurses and other clinicians to learn how to provide specialty care to patients in their own communities.
The ECHO Model™ is not traditional “telemedicine” where the specialist cares for a patient. Instead, this is “telementoring,” a guided practice model where the participating clinician retains responsibility for managing the patient.
Project ECHO is a learning and mentoring network and also a professional community. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, offer each other input and guidance, and actively engage in discussions during and after the session.
For more information, please visit Project ECHO.
The ECHO Model™ is comprised of four principles that can improve clinician satisfaction, enhance clinician knowledge and self-efficacy, and improve patient satisfaction and outcomes:
- Amplification: Use technology to leverage the expertise of a multidisciplinary team.
- Best Practices: Share best practices to reduce disparities and standardize care.
- Case-Based Learning: Leverage case-based learning and guided practice to master complex cases.
- Database: Apply web-based tools to monitor outcomes.
Register Now to Participate
Register now for Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO Sessions.
If you have questions or need help, please email: ProjectECHO@SunshineHealth.com.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a hub?
Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO is a Project ECHO hub, a regional center where a team of subject matter experts run their own ECHO program using the ECHO Model™.
What is a Case Study?
A case study is an overview of an individual’s medical history and overall health — without using any of their Personal Health Information (PHI). Project ECHO is a case-based learning option for care providers.
How much does it cost to participate?
Providers participate for free. You just need an internet connection and a device to allow you to participate virtually.
Is continuing education available?
It is available on a case-by-case basis, depending on the program. This information will be listed for each ECHO session.
How is patient or member information protected?
The patient/member’s Personal Health Information (PHI) should be removed from all materials used sessions. These materials will be reviewed in advance to ensure the patient/member has been de-identified. A statement addressing providers’ responsibilities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA will be read aloud prior to the start of each session to remind clinicians and specialists about the importance of preserving patient confidentiality.
Who should participate?
Individual clinicians of all levels are welcome and encouraged to participate in sessions, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, community health workers and pharmacists. Team participation is encouraged, as team-based care is the ideal model for enabling higher-level care delivery and task shifting.
Meet Our Team
The Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO Team:
- Lourdes Balaez, RN; Director, Quality Improvement, Sunshine Health
- Mia Cotter Bamber; Senior Director, Provider Relations, Sunshine Health
- Kamia Brown, Senior Director, Healthcare Transformation, Sunshine Health
- Christa Chestnut, RN; Director, Case Management, Sunshine Health
- Frank A. Crespo, MD, FACOG, CHCQM, CPE, MS-SHCD; board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Medical Director, Sunshine Health
- Berenice Elm; Trainer, Provider Relations, Sunshine Health
- Heather A. Flynn, Ph. D.; is a clinical psychologist and the Director of the Florida State University Center for Behavioral Health Integration. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at the FSU College of Medicine. Dr Flynn has done research, clinical care, and education in the Perinatal Behavioral Health field for over 20 years.
- Alvin Haynes, MD, MBA, SFHM; Senior Medical Director, Sunshine Health
- Kay Roussos-Ross, MD, board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry and Addiction medicine; Chief of the Division of Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology; Physician at UF Health Shands Medical Plaza; Professor, University of Florida.
- Maria Samerson, MD, MBA, FAAP; Chief Medical Officer, Sunshine Health
- Amandla Shabaka-Haynes, MD; is a Medical Doctor and Program Coordinator at the FSU Center for Behavioral Health Integration. She is an experienced community advocate and is the Chair of the Awareness Committee of the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative.
Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO Sessions
Disclaimer: These sessions do not create or otherwise establish a provider-patient relationship between any clinician and any patient whose case is being presented in a Project ECHO setting. They should be seen as general evidence-based discussions that could be applied in similar cases, and should not substitute, take the place of, nor be interpreted as direct patient care or a direct patient care relationship.
Privacy Notice: All Project ECHO participants, presentations and materials must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Participants in Sunshine Health Maternal Project ECHO sessions must not share any protected health information (PHI). All of the clinical cases presented must be de-identified so that no patient information is shared. These sessions are strictly discussions of de-identified cases for general knowledge.
If you have questions or need help registering, please email: ProjectECHO@SunshineHealth.com
Therapeutic Interventions and MI
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern
Register to join the Project ECHO Therapeutic Interventions and MI Session
Agenda
- Overview of effective psychotherapeutic interventions for perinatal behavioral health
- Motivational interviewing for treatment engagement
- Connecting and integrating effective non-pharmacological treatments
Perinatal Mood Disorders — Depression
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern
Coming Soon: Register here to join Project ECHO Perinatal Mood Disorders — Depression Session
Agenda
- Prevalence and burden
- Screening and care pathways
- Effective treatments
- Resources
Perinatal Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern
Coming Soon: Register here to join Project ECHO Perinatal Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder Session
Agenda
- Prevalence and burden
- Screening and care pathways
- Effective treatments
- Resources
Perinatal Substance Use, MAT and SBIRT
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern
Coming Soon: Register here to join Project ECHO Perinatal Substance Use, MAT and SBIRT Session
Agenda
- Drug and alcohol use in pregnancy and breastfeeding
- SBIRT Models
- Medications for substance use
- Non-medical treatments for substance use