At a glance
CDC supports Wyoming and other state and local health departments, or their bona fide agents, through cooperative agreements to support childhood lead poisoning prevention activities. Read about the program's successes.
About the Program
The State of Wyoming received $465,000 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the third funding year. The funds address childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities being conducted from September 30, 2023, to September 29, 2024.
The strategies focus on:
- Ensuring blood lead testing and reporting
- Enhancing blood lead surveillance
- Improving linkages to recommended services
To learn more about these efforts in Wyoming, contact the program below.
Wyoming Childhood Blood Lead Prevention Program
122 West 25th Street
Third Floor West
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-7656
Note:
Success story: funding year 3
Developing the Wyoming Lead Advisory Committee (WYLAC)
Challenge
The Wyoming Department of Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (WDH CLPPP) did not have an advisory committee to provide recommendations or programmatic feedback or to identify needs from diverse perspectives. There was no established network of lead prevention partners or communication channels to share updates, opportunities, or insights. Partners were also unaware of resources and which other organizations were involved in lead prevention. Previous attempts to develop a lead advisory committee were not sustained due to the absence of an advisory coordinator responsible for facilitating quarterly meetings and leading strategic planning sessions.
Intervention
In October 2022, WDH hired a contractor to serve as the Wyoming Lead Advisory Committee (WYLAC) coordinator. Invitations to attend the first in-person WYLAC meeting on March 16, 2023, were distributed to previously identified partner organizations. Forty-four members, representing 22 organizations, were invited to the first meeting. A launch committee was established to plan the agenda and draft a committee charter, mission statement, and vision statement to be approved at the first meeting.
Impact
Twenty-one people attended the first meeting where the drafted documents were approved, and members spent their time addressing issues, needs, and solutions during robust strategic planning sessions. The WYLAC has held three quarterly meetings through December 2023, with a minimum of 14 members attending each one. Active participation in the strategic planning subcommittee and new relationships are expected to sustain the WYLAC. The WYLAC membership list is routinely updated to replace and add subject matter experts as needed. There is now a single point of contact for all lead prevention stakeholders in Wyoming to reach out for educational opportunities, updates, and questions. Collaboration between stakeholders has increased due to the strategic planning sessions and subcommittee activities. These sessions have also given the state a greater understanding of the needs it should focus on. The WYLAC has fostered cross-agency relations and established contact between organizations across the state. The WYLAC has provided the WDH CLPPP valuable direction and input into strategic planning sessions that have helped prioritize needs and future efforts. An upcoming product of the WYLAC is the WYLAC newsletter which will launch in June 2024. It will be available to the public, and it will highlight partners' work as well as provide industry updates and product recalls.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by Grant Award# 6 NUE2EH001414-01-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 2
Increasing awareness for childhood blood lead testing and reporting requirements in Wyoming
Challenge
Prior to receiving CDC funding for childhood lead poisoning prevention activities in September 2021, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) had limited capacity to conduct outreach and educational activities to community partners. In September 2022, WDH discovered that an organization that conducts blood lead testing statewide on children <6 years of age who are enrolled in Medicaid was unaware of state reporting requirements and CDC's current blood lead reference value (BLRV) of 3.5 μg/dL. Additionally, their regional agencies were unaware of the updated BLRV, and some were unaware that they needed to report blood lead test results to WDH. Lack of reporting resulted in WDH's inability to conduct follow-up and ensure appropriate case-management for children enrolled in Medicaid who have a higher risk of lead exposure.
Intervention
The childhood blood lead program manager contacted the organization to inform them of the updated BLRV and reporting requirements. The organization invited the program manager to present at an upcoming organization-wide meeting attended by nurses and agency leaders. Topics included sources of lead, effects of lead exposure, methods of prevention, and state reporting methods/requirements. The presentation took place in September 2022 and was distributed to the audience afterwards.
Impact
This intervention led to improved surveillance as 145 previous unreported blood lead test results were sent to WDH from 2019 through 2022. Additionally, six patients that tested between 3.5–5 µg/dL who were previously labeled below the BLRV were now accurately categorized as above the BLRV and recommended for referral. This collaboration provides WDH with a more complete data set to accurately make predictions for future testing estimates and testing plans, and it allows WDH to conduct follow-up with families exposed to lead to ensure access to resources and appropriate case management.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by Grant Award# 6 NUE2EH001414-01-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.