Physician's Handbook on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Chapter Six
Regional Lead Poisoning Prevention Resource Centers
Summary
Seven Regional Lead Poisoning Prevention Resource Centers are located strategically throughout New York State in teaching hospitals with pediatric services.
The goal of the Regional Lead Poisoning Prevention Resource Centers is to improve the quality of lead poisoning diagnosis and medical management in New York State. This goal is being realized through the provision of education and technical assistance to primary care providers and treatment of lead poisoned children referred to the center.
These resource centers provide medical consultation and technical assistance to primary care providers within a geographic region on state-of-the-art management of lead poisoned children, and accept referrals of lead poisoned children, as necessary, for treatment.
The regional resource centers were created to provide:
Education and outreach to child health care providers
- Provide information to primary care providers on lead poisoning prevention including general risk reduction measures, screening schedules, how to manage various blood lead levels in children, etc.
- Collaborate with local health department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs to develop outreach and education activities for providers.
- Provide consultation to individual primary care providers on specific patient management issues.
- Accept patient referrals from pediatric care providers for management of lead poisoned children.
- Function as clearinghouses for resources on management of lead poisoning by maintaining a working knowledge of available services which local pediatric care providers may need to manage lead poisoned patients. These services include: blood lead labs, environmental labs, environmental investigators, environmental remediators, pediatric care providers with experience in management of lead poisoning, housing services, sources of safe housing, financial support for abatement, financial support for temporary safe housing, etc.
Outreach and technical assistance to hospitals
- Assist in establishing appropriate procedures for inpatient and outpatient chelation, outpatient mobilizations and/or other procedures.
- Collaborate with hospital departments of pediatrics to develop risk management and quality improvement protocols to assure that safe and effective management of lead poisoned children occurs.
Education and outreach to the public
- Collaborate with local groups or coalitions that carry out education programs on lead poisoning.
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