Project ECHO
MCN is pleased to announce our upcoming community of practice series, Diabetes ECHO 2026 for community health workers/promotores de salud, case managers, health educators, outreach workers, and patient navigators who work with health centers. This six-part, Spanish-language series will address topics relating to diabetes, including general knowledge, nutrition, mental health, complications, and more.
Session Dates
Session 1: January 29, 2026
Session 2: February 5, 2026
Session 3: February 12, 2026
Session 4: February 19, 2026
Session 5: February 26, 2026
Session 6: March 5, 2026
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Session Time
1:00 pm PT / 2:00 pm MT / 3:00 pm CT / 4:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm AT
Duration: 90 minutes
Session 1: Introduction to Type 2 Diabetes: Understanding the Fundamentals
January 29, 2026
This session will provide participants with an introduction to Type 2 Diabetes in our communities, particularly the Spanish speakers in our communities. This session will also provide an overview of the entire Diabetes ECHO series.
Speaker
Lois Wessel, FNP, DNP is an associate professor at the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine at Georgetown University. She is bilingual and is involved with numerous community and environmental health programs including the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Migrant Clinicians Network, the Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurses and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Dr. Wessel received the GU Center for Social Justice Slevin Award in 2024. She was awarded the Jesuit Network of Nursing Programs Exemplary Faculty Award in 2025. Dr. Wessel's areas of interest include community health workers, Project ECHO, food justice, public health, and making the world a better place for everyone.
Session 2: Complications of Type 2 Diabetes
February 5, 2026
This session will address the most common complications of T2D and provide participants with effective strategies to share with patients including specific information on what to look for to avoid serious complications.
Speaker
Dr. Eva Gálvez is a board-certified family physician at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Oregon, where she manages a busy panel of patients. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 2004 and has been working in federally qualified health centers since her residency training. As the daughter of agricultural workers, she has a special interest in the health issues they face and is committed to providing high quality, compassionate care to the people of her state. Dr. Gálvez has served as a family medicine clinical instructor for University of Washington School of Medicine and currently serves as a clinical preceptor for family medicine residents from the Wright Center and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Session 3: Treatments & Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
February 12, 2026
This session will address the various treatments and medications for T2D, including medications to improve insulin sensitivity through increased production, or reduce glucose absorption/production to control blood sugar levels. We will also talk about the latest injectable medications for weight loss and glycemic control.
Speakers
Alyssa Puia is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language. She is bilingual and works as clinical pharmacist at Holyoke Health Center (HHC) a federally qualified health center in Massachusetts which serves a predominantly Spanish speaking patient population. In this role, Alyssa provides direct patient care via collaborative drug therapy management with prescriptive authority for type 2 diabetes & other chronic disease states. Alyssa is board certified in ambulatory care pharmacy & a certified diabetes care and education specialist. She is passionate about the roles clinical pharmacists can fill within community health centers and hopes to inspire the next generation of pharmacists to work with underserved patients as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents.
Melvin Morales Jr., PharmD, RPh, graduated with a PharmD from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy- Worcester and has worked as a pharmacist at a federally qualified health center in Massachusetts since 2013. As a clinical pharmacist and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Holyoke Health Center, Melvin provides Collaborative Drug Therapy Management (CDTM) and other clinical pharmacy services. Melvin serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students of numerous universities and for Holyoke Health Center’s PGY-1 Community Pharmacy residency program, which prepares pharmacists with the tools and expertise necessary to bring clinical pharmacy programs to health systems interested in expanding quality health care services to underserved communities. Professional interests include chronic disease management, improving medication access, and supporting culturally sensitive care.
Session 4: Plant-Based Nutrition and Other Food Strategies for Type 2 Diabetes
February 19, 2026
Though many factors contribute to high rates of T2D, nutrition plays a key role in successful diabetes self-management and is key to maintaining a healthy weight and adequate blood glucose levels. This session will provide information on healthy plant-based options and other nutritional information for successful management.
Speaker
Dr. María José Hummel is a nutritionist, health educator, author, international speaker, and former engineer. Dr. Hummel holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s of Science in Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a Master’s in Public Health from San Jose State University, and a certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University. As a health educator and plant-based nutritionist, certified by the American Association of Lifestyle Medicine as a lifestyle medicine professional as well as Type 2 diabetes remission, Dr. Hummel enjoys sharing not only her knowledge, but her passion, for nutrition, health, and plant-based cooking.
Session 5: How Promotores de Salud Play a Role in Community Education and Continued Care Coordination
February 26, 2026
This session will offer an overview of the key role Promotoras play in providing education to the communities they serve. We will discuss their role in Public Health and introduce Health Network, a program to help keep qualifying patients in care.
Speakers
Alma Galván, MHC, is MCN's Director of Training and Community Engagement. Galván has worked for over three decades to improve the health of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers. She has extensive experience providing technical assistance and developing curricula and educational materials for adults with limited English proficiency and limited literacy, community health workers, health professionals, health educators, and clinicians. Galván has worked extensively with MCN partners, community-based organizations, health agencies, and local and state health departments.
Nilsa Padilla Elías, MPA, is MCN's Research Manager and works from the Puerto Rico office. She has dedicated her career to working in different public health scenarios, among which stand out the emergency preparedness and response. Padilla Elías has vast experience in the development and implementation of research projects, focusing on the emergency preparedness and capability of the Puerto Rico health system, including the Altered Crisis Standards of Care. She also has devoted her research efforts to addressing the needs of the unhoused population and people with substance abuse disorders and implementing mental health awareness programs for the community. Padilla Elías has a master’s degree in public Affairs majoring in Human Services from the University of Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.
Session 6: The Relationship Between Mental Health and Successful Type 2 Diabetes Management
March 5, 2026
This session will address the significant increased risk for mental health issues in relation to chronic disease diagnoses such as T2D. We will provide strategies to help patients cope with chronic conditions such as T2D and discuss factors that contribute to stigma.
Speaker
Melawhy Garcia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Director of the Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training, and a newly appointed Endowed Chair of Health Literacy and Health Communication in the College of Health and Human Services. Dr. García has experience with multidisciplinary epidemiological and applied research through her work at the Center for Latino Community Health as well as SDSU’s Institute for Behavioral and Community Health and the South Bay Latino Research Center. Her research program utilizes different methodologies to explore the complex influences affecting health outcomes in populations facing non-health-related challenges, with a particular focus on conditions related to heart and metabolic health, including diabetes.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,204,180.00 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.