PROBLEM: Historically, Washington state has had some of the lowest lead testing rates in the nation.
SOLUTION: In 2024 Region 10 PEHSU began a 3-year project titled Better Access to Blood Lead Evaluation for Kids (B-ABLE Kids) with the Public Health – Seattle King County Best Starts for Kids program. The goals of B-ABLE Kids are to increase awareness about childhood lead poisoning amongst healthcare providers, and to collaborate with community-based organizations to offer blood lead testing for at risk communities in the greater Seattle area. With this multi-pronged approach our aim is to increase blood lead testing rates and improve follow-up care for lead-exposed children.
IMPACT: In year 1, Region 10 PEHSU led a Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative with healthcare providers from several pediatric clinics within the University of Washington health system. From the beginning of the project one year ago to now, they’ve seen an approximately 20% increase in lead testing rates for eligible children at greatest risk of lead exposure and poisoning (those with Medicaid insurance aged 9-24mo).