Data released in February by the CDC identified Colorado as one of five states with a maternal syphilis rate that rose more than 400% from 2016 to 2022. Last April, in response, the Polis administration organized a comprehensive effort to save the lives of babies in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE) strategic approach was to use every collaborative effort within its reach to intervene on the transmission of syphilis.

As part of its strategy, CDPHE engaged with ECHO Colorado to create Syphilis in Colorado: A Call to Action, a four-session ECHO series for providers and professionals across Colorado’s health care, public health and corrections systems that covered the most pressing gaps in screening, identification and treatment of syphilis. It also addressed the social factors that have contributed to the continued proliferation of the disease in our communities, particularly among those who have limited access to obstetric and sexual health care.

CDPHE was excited to partner with ECHO Colorado based on its experience with other series including the ongoing Colorado Updates in Public Health and topic-specific series on Mpox and COVID-19 therapeutics. Together, CDPHE and ECHO Colorado created thoughtful content that was delivered in June to over 170 participants. The post-series evaluation showed a significant increase in provider awareness around social factors and stigma associated with syphilis, as well as an increase in knowledge related to the use of point-of-care testing, lab interpretation and treatment completion.

“We know that one learning series will not solve all of our concerns with the increases in syphilis and congenital syphilis, however it has planted a seed for the department and our partners to continue the work in developing additional training opportunities at the local level,” said Adrianna Hervey, CDPHE Surveillance and Case Ascertainment, Program Manager, Office of STI/HIV and Viral Hepatitis.

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ECHO Colorado, part of University of Colorado’s Peer Mentored Care Collaborative (PMCC), recently launched the ninth and final asynchronous course as part of the CDC-funded Long COVID and Fatiguing Illness Recovery Program. The series of nine courses was created due to the growing number of Long COVID cases being seen in primary care, and focused on enabling PCPs to assess and manage the condition in the outpatient setting.

The final course, A Multidisciplinary Approach to Long COVID Care: Three Case Studies, walks through real-world case studies via video, offering relevant insights into the epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical management of brain fog, orthostatic intolerance and PEM/fatigue associated with Long COVID. The course is open now through March 7, 2025.

Additional PMCC programs addressing the need for improved Long COVID care are scheduled to launch later this year. PMCC is one of nine $5 million grant awardees announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). ECHO Colorado programs supported by the grant include live and asynchronous learning opportunities for primary care providers. The funds will also enable PMCC to develop eConsult support for a broadening range of primary care providers struggling with the presentation and management of Long COVID in patients.

“Long COVID is an important public health threat impacting millions of individuals, including 600,000 Coloradans, and currently care for Long COVID is fragmented, variable in nature and in constant evolution,” said John “Fred” Thomas, PhD, PMCC Executive Director and Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology. “This funding will support the implementation of integrated, multidisciplinary Long COVID care in Colorado via PMCC’s ECHO and eConsults platforms.”

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