​

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

2022 Awardee: University of Utah Project ECHO

​

The University of Utah Project ECHO has been around since 2011, being only the third site in the world to become a Project ECHO hub after the creation of the program in New Mexico in 2003. As an early adopter of this innovative model for distance education, the U of U Project ECHO team was well prepared to rise to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to support providers when in-person education was not available. 

 

Over the past few years, the University of Utah Project ECHO has gone above and beyond to support or Rural Health Association of Utah's mission of enhancing the quality of rural health through education and coalition building. Dr. Howell, Dr. Box, and Dr. Steve Godin have all partnered with our RHAU lead programs designed to address health inequities and improve the capacity of rural Utah providers to address the continued issues with substance use disorder through a Project Echo series specifically designed to feature property topics from these projects. 

 

We are pleased to recognize the University of Utah’s Project ECHO team as our 2022 RHAU Educational Partner of the Year.

​

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

2021 Awardee: Utah State University Extension 

Evan Vickers serves as the State Senator for Senate District 28; he currently serves as Senate Majority Leader. Before serving in the State Senate, he served in the State House of Representatives for four years. During his time in the legislature, he has been chair of both the
Health and Human Services Interim Committee and the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and he currently sits on the Executive Appropriations Committee. Sen. Vickers is a pharmacist and business owner with three family-owned and run pharmacies,
and two retail businesses, in Cedar City and Richfield. He earned his B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Utah in 1977. Evan and his wife Chris are the proud parents of five children, two of which followed in his footsteps to become pharmacists and work for the family business. They also are the adoring grandparents to 14 grandchildren.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

2017 Awardees: Utah Navajo Health Systems (UNHS) and Blue Mountain Hospital

The University of Utah Project ECHO has been around since 2011, being only the third site in the world to become a Project ECHO hub after the creation of the program in New Mexico in 2003. As an early adopter of this innovative model for distance education, the U of U Project ECHO team was well prepared to rise to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to support providers when in-person education was not available. 

​

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

2016 Awardee: Utah Tech University (Formerly Dixie State University)

Utah Tech University was recognized for its outstanding healthcare programs and its commitment to innovation applied to educating the future generations of rural Utah healthcare professionals. Mark Stoddard, with the Utah System of Higher Education, who presented the award, praised Utah Tech for their, “excellent track record of preparing students for careers in health care in the St. George area and across the state.”

 

Utah Tech has a proven track record of providing health training programs for those in Southern Utah.  Current programs include nursing, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, emergency medical services, medical laboratory science, medical radiography, phlebotomy, physical therapy assisting, and surgical technology.  New programs implemented this past year include a bachelor’s in biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences as well as a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.