Wyoming

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.

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.

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.