Lead is a useful and common metal but remains as a dangerous poison for children and adults. Best Starts Lead and Toxics strategy partners with community-based organizations to prevent childhood lead poisoning, identify and reduce exposures to environmental toxics, and equitably improve health outcomes. Learn more about our Lead and Toxics strategy by reading our one-pager.
We are excited to announce our awardee!
Through a competitive Increasing Blood Lead Testing for Children in King County request for proposals process, we’re excited to announce that our Lead and Toxics Program is awarding $900,000 of Best Starts funding to the University of Washington (UW) Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) for a 3-year contract to increase blood lead testing in King County children.
The project is called Better Access to Blood Lead Evaluation for Kids or B-ABLE Kids. PEHSU says, “We have designed a two-pronged approach which includes working with health care providers to enhance their practice of appropriate lead screening as well as working with community organizations to provide community-based access to lead screening for kids.”
PEHSU will collaborate with five UW medical clinics, including Harborview, Kent/Des Moines, Roosevelt, Shoreline, and Woodinville. “We are delighted to partner with five major UW Medicine clinical sites providing pediatric care,” says PEHSU. “Through a learning collaborative with health care providers in these clinics, we will enhance provider knowledge as well as create new system improvements to ensure best practices for lead screening are implemented during child check-ups well beyond the project period.”
Through this project, the UW based project team will partner with Somali Health Board and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.
“These organizations bring tremendous experience supporting impactful public health outreach events in the community,” says PEHSU. “We are excited to work with them to integrate lead screening knowledge and opportunities for community-based lead screening into their well-established community outreach.”
PEHSU will also participate on the Lead Action Group, a community-led effort funded through Best Starts for Kids and the Centers for Disease Control, to develop priorities to increase blood lead testing and reduce exposures to lead. The Lead Action Group currently includes Cultivate South Park, Horn of Africa Services, King County Medical Society, Mother Africa, Muslimahs Against Abuse Center, Somali Health Board, Teniel Sabin Consulting, and Washington Poison Center.