Program Overview

Introduction to the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health

The Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is a prestigious institution dedicated to advancing public health through education, research, and community engagement. The school offers a wide range of academic programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and minors.

Academic Programs

The school offers the following academic programs:

• Bachelor's Degrees
  • BS in Health Services Management
  • BS in Public Health
• Master's Degrees
  • Master of Health Administration
  • Master of Public Health
  • Master of Science in Biostatistics
  • Master of Science in Global Health and Sustainable Development
  • Dual & Joint Degrees
• Doctoral Degrees & Minors
  • PhD in Biostatistics
  • PhD in Epidemiology
  • PhD in Health Policy Management
  • DrPH in Global Health Leadership
  • Doctoral Minors
• Certificates

Research Areas

The school is involved in various research areas, including:

• Center for Health Policy
• Center for Public Health Practice
• IU Indianapolis ECHO Center
• Diabetes Impact Project
• CHEER
• Public Health Funding
• Publications

Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network ECHO

The Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network ECHO is a program designed to support nursing home leadership in building capacity related to COVID-19 and protecting residents and staff. The program consists of two phases:

• Phase I: 16 weekly sessions for 8 cohorts, focusing on the most pressing COVID-related needs
• Phase II: Weekly sessions for three cohorts, aiming to stop the spread, vaccinations, supporting resident and family needs, and leadership behaviors

Goals

The goals of the Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network ECHO program are to:

• Keep the virus from entering nursing homes where it has not entered
• Identify residents and staff who have been infected with the virus early
• Prevent the spread of the virus between staff, residents, and visitors
• Provide safe and appropriate care to residents with mild and asymptomatic cases of the virus
• Ensure staff have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement best-practice safety measures to protect residents and themselves
• Reduce social isolation for residents, families, and staff during these difficult times

Approach

The program operates as a 16-week interactive virtual community of practice utilizing the ECHO model. The weekly sessions are designed to create space to hear directly from nursing home staff about the challenges they face, and to share best practices and learn from peers.

Partners

The major partners in this project are:

• IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
• IU School of Medicine
• Parkview Hospital
• Regenstrief Institute
• University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community
• University of Southern Indiana

Program Overview

The program consists of 42 weeks, 180 sessions, with over 250 hours of content. A total of 243 facilities in Indiana participated in the program, with 730 unique people participating in sessions. The program issued 3,285 Health Facility Administrator CEU credits and provided $876,000 in compensation to participating facilities.