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Legislation intended to improve access to quality health care in remote parts of the country passed the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday on voice vote.

The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act previously passed in the Senate by a vote of 97-0. It now heads to President Barack Obama for his consideration.

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat and a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, is a cosponsor of the measure.

“Technology is changing the way medical professionals connect with each other and their patients,” .��“Our bill capitalizes on this technology to give health professionals in hard-to-reach areas the specialized training they need and help them reach more patients.”

ECHO is described by Schatz’s office as “an innovative continuing medical education model that uses interactive videoconferencing to link specialist teams (‘hubs’) with primary care providers (‘spokes’) in rural and underserved areas. Together, they participate in weekly teleECHO clinics that combine didactic teaching with mentoring and case-based learning.”

Only about 10 percent of physicians practice in rural areas of the country, according to Schatz’s office, “despite nearly one-fourth of the population living in these areas.”

Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was the other cosponsor of the bill.

“By using technology to connect patients and providers, this bill will benefit Utah’s families by helping them receive the care they need, when they need it,” he said.

Great news – Our bill to expand access to high-quality health care in rural areas just passed the House and now heads to the White House.

— Senator Brian Schatz (@SenBrianSchatz)

So what is Project ECHO and how does it help medical professionals? Here’s a quick explanation: — Senator Brian Schatz (@SenBrianSchatz)