Penn State conference helps rural health care providers build hands-on skills

HERSHEY, Pa. — Project ECHO at Penn State College of Medicine brought primary care providers from across Pennsylvania together this spring for its inaugural Nese Project ECHO “Empowering Rural Primary Care” in-person conference. The full-day event focused on hands-on learning and clinical skills, offering continuing medical education credit.

The conference is part of the Nese Project ECHO series, which typically offers virtual training for rural primary care providers. Committed to improving resources for rural clinicians, Ross and Carol Nese partner with Project ECHO to advance a shared goal: improving access to care in rural and high-need communities.

Applying evidence to patient care

The event opened with interactive case discussions led by Cynthia Chuang, professor of medicine and public health sciences, and Michael McShane, associate professor of medicine, both from Penn State College of Medicine.

Using a case-based format, attendees worked through clinical scenarios. Each case began with a question, followed by a review of current medical evidence. Topics ranged from blood clots and hypertension to heart health risks and research on shingles vaccination and dementia. Discussions focused on practical choices, highlighting how small changes, such as adjusting medication timing, can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Expanding clinical skills in primary care

To move beyond theory, participants engaged in practical skills labs designed to keep patient care local. In rural communities, patients often face long travel times and extended waitlists to see specialists. Equipping primary care providers with advanced clinical skills helps bridge this gap.

Matthew Helm, assistant professor of dermatology and pathology, and Leesha Helm, associate professor of family and community medicine, demonstrated skin biopsy techniques. During an interactive lab, participants practiced these biopsies using oranges. Helm emphasized that when primary care providers can perform basic biopsies and capture clear medical photos in their own clinics, they can speed up diagnoses for skin conditions and reduce dangerous delays in treatment.

In a separate lab, Sesi Whaley, a clinical pharmacist, and Melissa Ernst, a registered nurse, guided participants through reading continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data for diabetes management. While CGMs provide valuable data, interpreting the results can be complex. Hands-on demonstrations allowed providers to compare devices and identify how specific foods, like refined carbohydrates versus fats, impact blood sugar patterns. This training empowers clinicians to help patients connect the dots between their diet and glucose levels without needing a referral to an endocrinologist.

Other sessions addressed common conditions that frequently require specialist intervention. Matthew Floyd, assistant professor of medicine, broke down the latest approaches to at-home sleep apnea testing — a crucial alternative for rural patients who cannot easily travel to a sleep lab. Additionally, Matthew Nudy, assistant professor of medicine, guided providers through selecting remote cardiac monitoring devices to detect irregular heart rhythms early.

“We’ve recognized that there are some things you can’t fully teach in a virtual setting — how to perform a biopsy or interpret continuous glucose monitor data,” said Cynthia Chuang, a professor of medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. “Bringing participants together in person allows them to learn those skills directly from experts and apply them in practice.”

The day concluded with a session led by George Garrow, CEO of Primary Health Network and a Penn State College of Medicine alumnus. Using his organization's "GOOD VIBES" framework, Garrow illustrated how fostering a supportive workplace culture and prioritizing psychological safety reduced employee turnover to 15%. For rural patients, he noted, this staff stability translates directly into more consistent, reliable care.

Learning from specialists and peers

A panel discussion featuring Penn State College of Medicine faculty highlighted strategies for managing complex conditions in a primary care setting. Panelists answered audience questions on a wide range of timely topics, from empowering adolescents to advocate for their own mental health to the benefits and limitations of using artificial intelligence in medical practice.

“What makes ECHO different is that participants don’t just receive information — they have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss cases and apply what they’re learning to their own patients in real time,” said Jessica Beiler, senior research project manager for Project ECHO at Penn State.

Strengthening a statewide learning community

Project ECHO at Penn State provides virtual, case-based training across multiple clinical topics. The program connects participants with specialists to improve access to care in rural and high-need communities. The Nese Project ECHO series specifically focuses on helping rural primary care providers increase the care they can deliver locally.

“Primary care providers have to maintain expertise across a wide range of conditions, which can be especially challenging in rural communities without easy access to specialists,” said Jennifer Kraschnewski, director of Project ECHO at Penn State. “Programs like this help bring the latest evidence-based care directly to those providers so they can offer it locally.”

Continuing the program’s impact

Post-conference evaluations reflected the event's success: 100% of surveyed attendees reported gaining knowledge to improve patient care, and 92% learned new skills. Participants noted specific plans to implement what they learned, such as ordering more at-home sleep studies and educating patients on the added benefits of the shingles vaccine.

Videos from the conference are available to view on YouTube.

A new virtual cohort of the Nese Project ECHO program will launch in September. Program information, schedules and registration are available online.