Project ECHO at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences was awarded the Superhub Community Award by the ECHO Institute.

Project ECHO — Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes — is a mentoring model that addresses the health and educational needs of rural and underserved communities. It connects providers with specialists for virtual, collaborative sessions.

Since its inception in 2017, Project ECHO at OSU-CHS has hosted 35 different ECHO lines and served all 77 counties in Oklahoma.

“At OSU Center for Health Sciences, we are committed to expanding access to health care, knowledge and opportunity across our state. Project ECHO brings that mission to life by connecting rural providers and educators with experts and proven best practices through technology. This, in turn, strengthens care and improves outcomes across Oklahoma,” said Mike Shea, DHA, executive director of strategic initiatives at OSU-CHS.

In 2018, Project ECHO was designated a Superhub, an experienced ECHO partner authorized to recruit, train and support new partners.

“We were one of the first Superhubs. We learned to do the training for ECHO, but it goes beyond that. It’s about taking the ECHO model and modifying and using it for other high-need areas in the world,” said Tara Jackson, DrPH and director of Project ECHO at OSU-CHS.

Project ECHO has focused on innovation and community within its network.

By implementing a hybrid model, they were among the first to adapt the program for education to support K-12 Oklahoma schools. This includes launching the AI in Education ECHO in collaboration with the OSU College of Education and Human Sciences and the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute-supported Athletic Training – Sports Medicine ECHO, two first-of-their-kind programs.

Jade Goodson, assistant director of Project ECHO at OSU-CHS, said it all comes back to community.

"We’re building communities for the providers we serve and a space for other academic centers or organizations running ECHO lines to collaborate and work together,” she said.

As a Superhub, they play an active role in the global ECHO network, sharing resources and supporting other programs. They have also trained other ECHO teams, applying lessons learned from building 10 ECHO lines in eight months.

These accomplishments led Project ECHO at OSU-CHS to be selected for the Superhub Community Award, which recognizes programs that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation and impact within the global ECHO network. Nominees are selected and voted on by other Superhubs.

Project ECHO was presented with the award on Dec. 10, 2025, at a virtual ceremony.

Other recipients of the Superhub Community Award were the American Academy of Pediatrics, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, ECHO-Chicago and West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Jackson said it is a privilege to be recognized alongside these other organizations.

“It’s an honor to be in such amazing company with the other Superhubs. This award affirms that OSU-CHS is not only advancing its own programs but also strengthening the global ECHO community,” she said.

Project ECHO is grateful for the support of its funders, including the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), which currently sponsors 11 ECHO lines, several of which are in collaboration with the OSU Human Performance Institute.

“We couldn’t have achieved this without our subject matter experts, partners and loyal funders. Project ECHO is free, and the only way that it lasts is through those generous funding opportunities,” Jackson said. “This recognition speaks to our exceptional teamwork and innovative approach to health care in rural Oklahoma and beyond. We’re advancing the ECHO mission in substantial, lasting ways.”