PMCC Partners

mHealth Lab
This project – in partnership with the mHealth Impact Lab and the Primary Care Diabetes Lab – is piloting the implementation of an artificially intelligent health care chatbot to screen for and provide treatment for diabetes distress in an outpatient primary care setting. Those with moderate to severe diabetes distress receive support from specialists through an eConsult-enabled workflow. 

Diabetes distress is the emotional response that comes from living with diabetes and the associated burden of self-management for this chronic condition. Of the over 38 million people in the US who live with diabetes, one in five experience severe diabetes distress. If not treated, diabetes distress can lead to poor mental and physical health outcomes for patients, including depression, anxiety and difficulties with diabetes self-management. This research study explores the feasibility and acceptability of using health information technology, including eConsults and an artificially intelligent chatbot, to improve screening for diabetes distress, referral to specialty care as needed, and personalized treatment for patients living with diabetes. 

University of Colorado Cancer Center
People who live in rural communities experience higher cancer death rates than those who live in urban areas despite having lower overall cancer numbers. Offered in collaboration with the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Navigating Patient Care to Improve the Well-being of Cancer Survivors in Rural/Frontier Colorado and Wyoming was a 2024 ECHO series that explored the cancer survivorship needs of rural and frontier Colorado and Wyoming communities with an emphasis on ways in which various non-medical support services and providers can coordinate with one another to meet these needs. Other project partners included CDPHE and the Wyoming Health Department.

Barbara Davis Center
The Benefits of Screening for Early Type 1 Diabetes ECHO was offered in 2024 with the goal of increasing awareness of the indications and expected outcomes of Tzield (teplizumab) while emphasizing the importance of early screening for type 1 diabetes (T1D) associated autoantibodies, particularly in individuals with heightened familial risk-factors. More than 60 providers registered to learn from experts about how to incorporate new tools into their practice in order to gain confidence and improve patient care.

Wellness, Opportunity, Resiliency Through Health
The Wellness, Opportunity, Resiliency Through Health (WORTH) program at the CU School of Medicine helps people transitioning from jail learn to manage their health care. The program aims to help with that transition, and to empower people to better manage their health care needs after release and while they are still incarcerated. [How does PMCC support?]

LInQs Fellowship
The Leaders in Informatics, Quality, and Systems (LInQS) Fellowship Program develops future leaders in quality improvement, clinical system design, learning health care systems, clinical informatics and patient safety among CUSOM Department of Medicine fellows and junior faculty. This two-year program offers didactics, mentorship and hands-on training from expert faculty. PMCC currently supports the fellowship of Steven Taylor, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine - Rheumatology.

Colorado Dept Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) 
As a Medicaid Supplemental Funding recipient, PMCC partners closely with HCPF to enhance Medicaid provider education through ECHO training, increase telehealth utilization, and evaluate the impacts of health care delivery on Medicaid members.

Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) 
PMCC partners with OeHI to support telehealth expansion projects to ensure equitable access to care for all Coloradans. In recent work, PMCC conducted an evaluation of federally qualified health center eConsult utilization in Colorado and proposed opportunities for enhanced state funding and engagement.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) 
Through multiple ECHO initiatives, PMCC continues to support public health education and outreach efforts through our partnership with CDPHE. Public health ECHOs offered in partnership with CDPHE:

• COVID Just-in-Time ECHO for Primary Care
• COVID Just-in-Time ECHO for Schools
• COVID Care in the Ambulatory Setting
• AHRQ National Nursing Home COVID Action Network (CAN)
• COVID Therapeutics in the Ambulatory Setting
• COVID Monoclonal Antibodies
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) webinar
• Mpox webinar
• Mpox for Primary Care
• Respiratory Season Vaccine Updates
• Colorado Updates in Public Health: COVID & Beyond (CUPH)
• Navigating Cancer Survivor Care in Rural/Frontier Colorado and Wyoming
• Breastfeeding for Providers
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: Improving Blood Lead Testing and Reporting in Colorado’s Children
• Syphilis in Colorado: A Call to Action
• Peer Education Program (PEP)