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Janvier Gasana, MD, MPH, PhD, Kristy A. Siegel, MPH, CHES, Janisse Rosario, MPH, and Emily A. Owens, MPH. Stempel School of Public Health, Florida International University, Viertes Haus 216, 11200 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, 305-348-4903, ksiegelapha@hotmail.com
Many health care providers are unaware of the lead burden affecting children in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Data provided by the Agency for Health Care Administration shows that in 2001, the screening rates for blood lead levels of children in the zip codes comprising Little Haiti, Liberty City, Little River, Little Havana, and Overtown ranged from 15.6% to 38.7%. Based on these findings, the Florida Children’s Environmental Health Alliance initiated the Partnership Against Lead (PAL) Project. Among the goals of the PAL Project is to motivate health care providers to routinely screen children six years of age and under for lead poisoning, following the recommendations established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One strategy for increasing screening in the high-risk communities is to contact providers and establish a partnership. Using the seven action steps outlined by Dr. Thomas L. Schlenker to effectively collaborate with providers in lead poisoning, we have identified and contacted 13 physicians in the communities. Less than half of the contacted physicians signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The reasons given for not signing included reimbursement issues, lack of desire to participate, and confidentiality concerns raised by the new HIPAA standards. Confidentiality concerns are a newly raised issue in this field. As such, we are working diligently to combat this issue, along with the others, to continue our objective to help eliminate childhood lead poisoning in our high-risk communities.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to
Keywords: Collaboration, Lead
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.ppt format, 72.0 kb)