# Project-007

> **NIH NIH UL1** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON · 2024 · $506,947

## Abstract

Opioid overdose deaths and the rise in problematic opioid use patterns that indicate the development of opioid
use disorder (OUD) have reached crisis levels in the United States. The highest risk for OUD and other substance
use disorders (SUDs) associates with use instigated before 14 years of age. The Poison Center Network
reported 102,940 opioid-related exposures in Texas from 2000-2017, including 21,723 exposures attributed
to adolescents. Deaths attributed to opioids numbered 16,843 from 1999-2015, with 2,200 deaths in the age
range of 15-24 years, tracking with a steady escalation over this period. While Texas ranks among the states
with the lowest rate of opioid overdoses per capita, a 7.4% increase was reported between 2015 and 2016. The
Ecosystem Optimization for Translation (EOT) optional function will harness our rich information technology and
clinical and research excellence to create a Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes)
network. UTMB’s networking in rural and underserved communities is historically strong and this experience is a
central strength of the goal of the EOT to address existing gaps in integrated care in SUDs/OUD. The initial focus
for the teleECHO network builds on the existing relationship with community physicians in 14 family medicine
clinics in rural and underserved Texas counties to promote integration of OUD/SUD and mental health services
into family medicine practices. Telementoring will create a community of practice across healthcare workers
(physicians, faculty, residents, students) to facilitate case-based learning and disseminate best practices in
OUD/SUD care, improve quality of care of patients, and build the relationships required to conduct research in
rural and underserved communities. Partnering with the Texas Regional CTSA Consortium (TRCC), the EOT will
work with the UTMB Regional Maternal and Child Health Program (RMCHP) network of 31 clinics to enhance
teleECHO with targeted, women- and pregnancy-centered topics based upon contemporary knowledge of OUD/
SUDs and mental health disorders. This partnership will capture a quantitative and categorized electronic health
record database for epidemiological surveillance and clinical research in opioids, other risk factors and their
interactions in maternal-perinatal mortality and morbidity. To inform the use of contemporary knowledge, the
teleECHO network will be expanded with adolescent-centered topics, delivered through a community of practice
with teachers and healthcare providers in schools. Working with these schools and communities, we will translate
our evidence-based findings into practice via a Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance
(RE-AIM) approach focused on evidence-based substance use and violence prevention programs. The EOT is
a pivot in emphasis grounded in our collective strengths to move us to a future in which the best practices of
health care for OUD/SUDs, and evidence-based, culturally sensit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10814830
- **Project number:** 5UL1TR001439-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Randall J Urban
- **Activity code:** UL1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $506,947
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-08-18 → 2025-10-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10814830

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10814830, Project-007 (5UL1TR001439-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10814830. Licensed CC0.

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