2027 ECHO Diabetes: Diabetes Care, Community Health, and Climate Resilience Strategies for Supporting Diabetes Self-Management in Underserved Communities
For the tenth consecutive year, Migrant Clinicians Network is pleased to announce open registration for our Diabetes Care in the Community MCN’s In-Depth ECHO Series in Spanish. This series, geared towards Promotores de salud/Community Health Workers (CHWs), health educators, outreach workers, case managers, patient navigators, and patient & community advocates, will focus on providing robust, in-depth clinical insight specifically for members of the care team working in the community on the numerous aspects related to diabetes that make it such a difficult disease for patients to manage.
The ECHO Diabetes series consists of six 90-minute sessions, and for the first time, each session will integrate the effects of climate change and weather-related phenomena as it relates to successful Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). Session topics include: a general introduction to pre-diabetes & overview of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D); mental health & chronic disease; complications, treatments & medications; nutrition & exercise; and gestational diabetes. Individual sessions will focus on those key elements that make successful management challenging within the specific session topic, and how social determinants of health – the environmental and social conditions that we are exposed to where we live and work -- exacerbate successful control particularly in underserved communities. Participants will be provided with strategies and best practices to address the numerous challenges patients face as they learn to adapt to living with and successfully managing T2D.
MCN’s ECHO Diabetes series, presented exclusively in Spanish will be facilitated by MCN’s Manager of Online Education, Martha R. Alvarado. Dr. Lois Wessel, FNP, DNP will serve as subject matter expert throughout the series. Dr. Wessel 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. Each session will also rely on a guest speaker with expertise in the session topic who will offer additional expertise and insight.
The 2027 ECHO Diabetes series incorporates the ECHO model, developed by the University of New Mexico, to facilitate discussions led by subject matter expert(s), guest presenters, and participants themselves. As the series moves forward, participants will develop relationships with one another and with faculty members, have access to resources, guides, patient education materials, slides, and most importantly the knowledge of others’ experiences in their ongoing efforts to provide meaningful care around diabetes management in the communities they serve. The ECHO series is a highly interactive and engaging series. Participants will be expected to engage in every session, bring forth case studies, and offer input. There may be a homework component associated with some sessions and all materials including recordings, Power Point presentations, guides, and other resources will be shared with all members of the selected cohort.
The series is scheduled to begin on Thursday, January 14th and continue for six consecutive Thursdays. The hour and a half long sessions will begin at 3:00 pm Atlantic Time. Thirty positions will comprise MCN’s 2027 ECHO Diabetes cohort of learners. Priority will be given to applicants working in community health centers in Puerto Rico. MCN will start accepting applications to participate on Monday, November 2, 2026. We will continue to accept applications to participate until we receive two hundred or until Friday, December 11, 2026, whichever comes first. MCN’s Selection Committee will determine which applicants will be accepted into this year’s cohort of learners. Determination will be based on the applicant’s role within the healthcare team, relevance to their current position, ability to attend most if not all the sessions, and interest in participating. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by Friday, December 18, 2026.
MCN will provide this same ECHO Diabetes series in English following the conclusion of the Spanish language series. The English series will begin on Thursday, February 25, 2027. We will begin accepting applications to participate in the English language ECHO Diabetes series on Monday, January 11, 2027. Be sure to stay informed of our upcoming educational events, including our English language ECHO Diabetes series by subscribing to MCN's mailing list! Priority will be given to applicants associated with Puerto Rico-based organizations.
