Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network ECHO

The Indiana Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network (NNHCAN) ECHO ran from November 2020 - August 2021 in two phases. The program served 211 long-term care facilities throughout Indiana.

Phase I of the program included 16 weekly sessions designed specifically to assist with the most pressing COVID-related needs. Phase II consisted of weekly sessions comprised of three cohorts aimed at stopping the spread, vaccinations, supporting needs of residents and families, and leadership behaviors to support nursing home teams.

This ECHO program was geared specifically for nursing home leadership to build capacity related to COVID-19 and protect residents and staff.

Nursing facilities that joined the interactive community of practice worked to advance improvements in COVID-19 preparedness, safety, and infection control. 

Our goal was to help nursing homes implement evidence-based best practices to:

• Keep the virus from entering nursing homes where it has not entered
• Identify residents and staff who have been infected with the virus early
• Prevent the spread of the virus between staff, residents, and visitors
• Provide safe and appropriate care to residents with mild and asymptomatic cases of the virus
• Ensure staff have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement best-practice safety measures to protect residents and themselves
• Reduce social isolation for residents, families, and staff during these difficult times

This initiative operated as a 16-week interactive virtual community of practice utilizing the ECHO model. The ECHO model uses complex ideas and guided mentorship to provide an “all teach, all learn” environment. The weekly sessions were designed to create space to hear directly from nursing home staff about the challenges that they faced through discussion of real cases. All participants were encouraged to share best practices and learn from their peers – while benefiting from the guidance of nursing home and quality improvement experts. 

• Regenstrief Institute
• IU School of Medicine
• Parkview Hospital
• University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community
• University of Southern Indiana