Insights

The Rural Telementoring and Training Center and Cardea

The Rural Telementoring and Training Center (RTTC) strives to improve rural health by providing Resources, Information, Support and Education (RISE) for telementoring programs. In partnership with the RTTC, Cardea helps individuals and organizations, as learning partners, understand telementoring options available to address healthcare gaps in rural communities and provides tailored training and technical assistance (TTA) to help them launch, scale, and evaluate their programs.  The RTTC focuses on six different telementoring methods that can be molded and scaled to meet the needs of rural health workers and their consumers. The six modalities are:

  • Project ECHO
  • Individual Consultation
  • Online Modules and Curricula
  • Podcasts
  • Webinars
  • Community Health Clubs

The RTTC Training and Technical Assistance Team helps individuals and organizations decide which modality or combination of modalities may be a good fit for their goals and audience. Trainings for the various modalities are provided through online courses and resources. The use of online learning for the RTTC also allows for the trainings to be learner-centered, engaging, and interactive. Current online courses offered provide learners with an overview of each modality. The goal of each course is to help the learner gain knowledge about the modality and identify what is needed to design, implement, and sustain the telementoring program to address a health gap or capacity need(s) in their community.  

 

At the same time, we recognized the diversity of needs of our learning partners. We were mindful of the need for flexibility, and recognized that the online courses could reach a variety of learning partners that are also managing competing priorities at work. The RTTC team also understood the importance of building a collaborative space which allows for a tailored training and technical assistance process to meet the specific needs of each learning partner and their population of focus. 

 

Throughout the RTTC formation process, we ensured careful attention to equity to make sure that what we were developing had broad applicability; the RTTC considered the many environments and contexts in which telementoring programs would operate, and do so in a way that honors local expertise. For example, drawing from Cardea’s many years of experience collaborating with a range of Indigenous health partners, we acknowledge the expertise and thoughtful insight that they bring to support the health of their communities and look for ways to leverage this within the project. Cardea shares its collective experiences, passion, and knowledge with RTTC, and helps to center community voices and works alongside learning partners to ensure meaningful and practical telementoring programs are established.

 

If you are interested in learning more about telementoring and the impact telementoring can have on non-urban communities, join the RTTC Launch Week, October 25-29, 2021. View and register for events through the RTTC site: https://ruraltelementoring.org/launch-event/.  Over the course of the five days, the RTTC will host multiple virtual events to highlight the theme of Emerging Voices in Rural TelementoringEvents include micro lectures from leaders in telementoring, stories from community members and rural health workers, and an image competition featuring the theme “What Rural Means to Me” with $150 prize for the winner and $75 for the runner-up. 

Join us for discussion, connection, and community! All events are virtual and free to attend. Visit the RTTC website for more information. 

 

For more details on Cardea’s work in the Indigenous health space review the resources below.

Advancing the Uptake and Use of PrEP in Indian Country.

Developing a Social Media Strategy to Combat the HIV Epidemic in Indian Country

HIV Care and Sexual Health Assessment for American Indian and Alaska Native Patients

Opioid Prescribing in Dental Clinics:  A Holistic Approach to Treating Patients

 

Rttc Virtual Launch Week Agenda Oct 25 29