Episode 4.1: Lachelle Smith — Connecting Idaho’s Medical Communities

“You know…really the whole point of ECHO is to improve access for rural and underserved patients, and this is a way to do that. And, like I said earlier, it’s that ripple effect of it’s not just the patient whose case we review in the ECHO session, but it’s all the other patients who will receive better care as a result of what their provider learned in ECHO.” Meet Lachelle Smith (bit.ly/3rJz6hL), the director for ECHO Idaho (bit.ly/38lwYon). When you live in a small town, it’s hard to get specialized medical treatment. Medical specialists are often too far away and too expensive. But, through ECHO Idaho, the state’s healthcare work force is learning to address their patient’s individual needs by reviewing real case studies within an online community. ECHO Idaho helps the state’s health care workers keep abreast of the latest medical research and public health trends — knowledge they pass to their patients. Visit our website go.uidaho.edu/thevandaltheory​. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. More U of I Research: NASA selected a College of Engineering team to build an experiment that will take place on the International Space Station. The team will research how microgravity impacts the efficacy of polymers known to resist bacteria on Earth. Read more (bit.ly/3cbNIj2). Wildlife scientists Ryan Long and Savannah Rogers found grizzly bears take cool baths to help prevent overheating. Because the body temperature of mammals rises during lactation, female grizzly bears may take baths to facilitate milk production and ensure offspring survival. Read more (bit.ly/38qPv2N). The Idaho Beef Council announced a $250,000 gift to the University of Idaho. The endowment will provide scholarships to graduate students studying beef safety, nutrition and product development. Read more (bit.ly/30oKxPM). Music: “Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (bit.ly/2PsMCpw) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (bit.ly/2Ju7MQb). “Instrumental #2 Revisited” by Gillicuddy (bit.ly/3rzpGVL) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (bit.ly/30rNmiZ).