Comstock's magazine 1019 - October 2019 | Page 123

CAPITAL REGION CARES
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
U C D avis M IND I nstitute
Reaching out to treat autism worldwide.
T
he UC Davis MIND Institute is a
comprehensive, interdisciplinary center
for individuals with neurodevelopmental
disorders. With cutting-edge research, innovative
clinical programs and state-of-the-art treatment,
this unique center draws worldwide recognition.
“We strive to increase access to our services
for rural areas and international programs where
they can’t get services of this caliber,” says Dr.
Aubyn Stahmer, director of community-based
research. “Some families fly or drive hours to see
us from the far reaches of our state, other states
and even other countries for care. And because
others will never be able to make the trip, we’re
utilizing technology through Project ECHO
Autism to greatly reduce their need to travel.”
A teleconferencing program, ECHO links
MIND Institute autism experts with practitioners
in remote or underserved areas. Community
practitioners join this program using a
teleconferencing platform on phones or personal
computers from any location. They then have
access to an interdisciplinary group of experts,
receive training in understanding and treating
autism, and participate in case conferences to
increase their abilities in working with complex
children and families.
ECHO stands for Extension for Community
Healthcare Outcomes, and by disseminating
evidence-based information and developing
a community of practice for complex medical
disorders, the model has been successful for
more than 85 conditions.
“We’ve adapted it to train pediatricians to
care for their patients with autism, which is
critical since one in 59 children is now diagnosed
with autism compared to one in 88 in 2008,”
says Stahmer.
The MIND Institute doesn’t charge participants
for the ECHO project, though it costs about
$40,000 per year to run and must be sustained by
grants and donations.
“We can all be proud of this world-class center,
and we invite the region’s business community to
help us make the greatest strides in understanding
and treating autism,” Stahmer says.
“I’M VERY EXCITED
ABOUT PROJECT
ECHO BECAUSE
IT HELPS ENSURE
THAT FAMILIES
EVERYWHERE GET THE
BEST SERVICES AND
SUPPORT POSSIBLE.
MY HOPE IS THAT
WE CAN GROW THIS
PROGRAM TO IMPACT
EVEN MORE FAMILIES
WORLDWIDE.”
Leonard Abbeduto
Ph.D. Director, UC Davis MIND Institute
profile generously sponsored by
HEALTH.UCDAVIS.EDU/MINDINSTITUTE
Tsakopoulos-Vismara
endowed chair professor, Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
October 2019 | comstocksmag.com
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