Lead Poisoning Prevention

Preferred Care has been recognized in a recent New York State Attorney General report as a New York State leader in supporting the screening of children for lead poisoning. Preferred Care is proud of the work that our providers do to treat children affected by lead poisoning, including your efforts to work with Monroe County and City of Rochester officers to make the homes of these children lead-safe.

Although much progress has been made in the fight against childhood lead poisoning, it remains a serious problem in our community. Today, death from lead poisoning is rare. Still, thousands of children are affected by lead poisoning each year in the state of New York . More than 1,000 children in urban and suburban Monroe County homes will become poisoned. Children with lead poisoning often face life-long learning and behavior problems.

As part of the Preferred Care provider network, following are ways you can help keep the children in our community safe from lead:

• Continue to test children at 1 and 2 years of age for lead poisoning;
• Educate parents about the dangers of lead and encourage them to maintain a lead-safe home; and
• Learn more about local community action against lead poisoning by checking out the following Web sites:
  • www.leadsafeby2010.org
  • Lead poisoning information in Preferred Care's online Health Encyclopedia

We invite you to share this information with your colleagues and patients.

Preferred Care is committed to working with providers in our community to continue to improve our excellent lead poisoning testing rates. We will continue to support the work of Monroe County , the City of Rochester , and community activists to ensure that our children live in a lead-safe environment. With your support, Preferred Care will continue to be a leader in the State in the screening of children for lead poisoning.

Posted: 10/2004