Safest Choice Learning Collaborative 
Yearlong FASD ECHO Training    Boston Medical Center/PROOF Alliance

Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the U.S. Boston Medical Center and the PROOF Alliance were awarded a $2.9 million HRSA grant to provide FASD education to qualified health centers in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.  "The SAFEST Choice Learning Collaborative" aims to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and improve outcomes in children with suspected or diagnosed FASD.

​

Participation in the first cohort began in June 2021. Recruitment for the second cohort is now closed. Training began May 2022. BMC and Proof Alliance are working on a possible third cohort 2023. After an introductory webinar there will be ten 60-minute virtual ECHO® sessions delivered over the course of 12 months. Each session will provide a brief lecture by experts, case-based learning and collaborative problem-solving.

Training will include prenatal screening and support, and how to identify and care for children and adolescents with suspected or diagnosed FASD.  

• A modest stipend to use for equipment, resources, or a clinic "champion" to help implement the program.

• Free Continuing Education (CME, CNE, and Social Work) and MOC Part 2 credits

• Ongoing, individualized training and assistance to address implementation challenges

• No minimum prenatal/pediatric patient participation, or data collection/electronic record keeping

Participating CHCs are encouraged to invite all appropriate clinic staff to the training - medical personnel, behavioral health staff, community outreach workers. 

​

The first clinic participant in Maine was the St. Croix Regional Family Health Center, Janice Small NP, Princeton, ME. As of April 2022, Maine participants in the second cohort include the Pediatric Rapid Evaluation Program (PREP) team, Andrea Tracy MD, at Edmund N. Ervin Pediatric Center, Augusta; the Passamaquoddy Health Center, Sunee Lovely MD, Princeton; and Midcoast Pediatrics, Deborah Hagler MD, Brunswick.

The SAFEST Choice Learning Collaborative is currently building a prospect list for a potential future training opportunity. Interested parties should contact safestchoice@bmc.org to learn more.

Safest Choice Learning Collaborative 

Safest Choice Learning Collaborative  FAQ

Boston Medical Center Information Page

​