News & Updates

September 2024

• Dr. Sandy Jee, Rebekah Prasad, N.P., and Ms. Jamie Peterson presented a webinar for the Finger Lakes Children’s Environmental Health Center, and if you missed it, the slides and video are available! Get Ahead of Lead: Guidelines, Opportunities to Improve Clinical Care, and Hidden Sources to Avoid
• A Rochester Beacon article, "The Ongoing Fight Against Lead," references our WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center’s partnership with the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning.

August 2024

Jennifer Becker, MPH, CPH, and Clare Henrie, new Program Director for the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, presented on “Lead Poisoning in Children and Pregnant Individuals” at a virtual Zoom Baby Café on August 7.

July 2024

• On July 17, Dr. Jee, Rebekah Prasad, NP, and Jennifer Becker, MPH, presented on “Lead Poisoning: Prevention and Management in Primary Care” to 50 nurses in the URMC Primary Care Network.
• Since it launched in summer 2021, 111 people completed our online CE Module including: 48 RNs, 21 NPs, 20 Social Workers, 6 MD/DOs, 3 PAs, 3 LPNs, and 10 others. We plan to update and renew the continuing education credit this fall, and meanwhile the non-CE video and slides are still available on our website's Resource page.

April 2024

Dr. Sandra Jee spoke with Spectrum News in a feature about a child needing lead chelation.

December 2023

Big news! Dr. Stanley Schaffer is retiring, and Dr. Sandra Jee will become Director of our WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center’s Rochester Office with Rebekah Prasad, NP, as Clinical Assistant. Learn details and other updates in our 12/14/23 Lead News for Healthcare Providers.

October 2023

Pediatricians Stanley Schaffer, MD, MS, and Sandra Jee, MD, MPH, were featured on Good Day Rochester (Oct. 24) discussing ways to recognize and prevent lead poisoning in children. “Part of the problem is that symptoms are so subtle, and they’re not immediate,” said Schaffer, citing things like attention or behavior problems, hypertension, and other issues linked to early childhood lead poisoning. “They can happen years or decades down the road.”

September 2023

• On September 19, the Finger Lakes Lead Summit brought together 46 individuals from 27 organizations in Canandaigua. The effort was a collaboration of Pivital Public Health Partnership, the Finger Lakes Coalition to Stop Lead Poisoning, and the Finger Lakes Children's Environmental Health Center (FLCEHC) and featured our WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center staff Dr. Stanley Schaffer and Jennifer Becker as speakers in addition to several others. View presentations from the conference.
• On Sept 7 and 12, Dr. Schaffer provided virtual sessions about Blood Lead Testing & Follow-up to Finger Lakes area Healthcare Providers and Staff.

June 2023

Check out our Summer Newsletter for Healthcare Providers!

May 2023

Dr. Stanley J. Schaffer gave the keynote address during a lead poisoning education program at St. Bonaventure University on May 16. The event was sponsored by Lead Smart Partnership coalition members: the Seneca Nation of Indians; the Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County and Allegany County health departments; and community sponsor Fox Financial. Read the article: Lead (Pb) Smart Partnerships educates, recognizes honorees

April 2023

On April 11, Dr. Schaffer and Richard K. Miller PhD gave a virtual presentation on Lead Exposure and the Pregnant Patient. Slides and video are available.

Oct 2022

• For National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week we distributed a newsletter in collaboration with the other Upstate NY Regional Lead Resource Centers. View the newsletter
• On 10/13/22 Dr. Schaffer presented about Lead Poisoning Prevention for Guthrie Providers that serve families in NY State. Slides and a recording of the video are available here.

Sept 2021

Lead Poisoning in Children and Pregnant Women: An Interactive Continuing Education Module for NYS Providers - now available!
For more information see: Interactive Continuing Education Module - Flyer
Register Today!

May 2022

Check out our Spring Newsletter

March 2022

Dr. Schaffer presented a Finger Lakes Children's Environmental Health Center webinar on "Effects of Lead Toxicity: What We See in the Clinic, the Classroom, and Beyond." View the video and slides.

October 2021

For this Lead Poisoning Prevention Week newsletter we collaborated with the other Upstate Regional Lead Resource Centers. Check it out!

June 2021

The NYS American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 1 Lead Testing Project ECHO Learning/Quality Improvement Collaborative which launched in December 2020 finished in June 2021.  Ten practices participated in this QI project. Documented risk assessment increased from 40% at baseline (November 2020 data) to 81% by the end of the project (May 2021 data). The final evaluations also indicated that participant knowledge increased in the areas of: sources of lead exposure in the US; health consequences of childhood lead exposure; sources that may result in lead poisoning in children; NY State requirements regarding when and how to test children's blood lead levels; CDC, NY State and AAP guidelines around blood lead reference values; NY State requirements regarding case management for children affected by lead poisoning, etc.

April 2021

Check out our newsletter - Lead News for Healthcare Providers - Spring 2021

December 2020

• Our 12/23 Happy Holiday email included reminders about lead poisoning prevention, including being aware that certain products, like holiday toys and toy jewelry can can contain lead.
• The NYS American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 1 Lead Testing Project ECHO Learning/Quality Improvement Collaborative launched on December 15.

November 2020

• Announcement about the NYS American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 1 Lead Testing Project ECHO Learning/Quality Improvement Collaborative

July 2020

• Email update on lead poisoning prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic

April 2020

• Our Spring newsletter is now available! Lead News for Healthcare Providers - Spring 2020

February 2020

• Dr. Kristin Navarette’s Oct 23, 2019 Pediatric Grand Rounds presentation on "An Update on New York State Lead Initiatives and New Regulatory Requirements" is now available to view for CME credit. To access it, go to the University of Rochester website: www.cme.urmc.edu (on the left side, choose the Online Learning tab).  Learning Objectives are to 1) Summarize the changes to New York State public health law and regulatory requirements for health care providers regarding elevated blood lead level definitions, follow up testing, and medical management, and 2) List three resources available to share anticipatory guidance on lead exposure with patients and families. It is free for U of R and Arnot Health System providers and $15 for all other providers.

December 2019

• Thanks to all who participated in our online survey!  Results are here - NYS Lead Poisoning Prevention Regulation Changes and Healthcare Provider Responsibilities.

October 2019

• On October 22 & 23 Dr. Kristen Navarette, Medical Director of the NYS DOH Center for Environmental Health, and Linda Freligh, NYS DOH Community Health Program Manager, visited the WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center’s Rochester Office. Dr. Navarette delivered Pediatric Grand Rounds at Rochester General Hospital and at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  The slides are available  and the one hour recorded session can be found on the Department of Pediatrics' Grand Rounds page.
  
  Dr Navarette and Ms. Freligh also visited the Lead Poisoning Prevention Storyboard with Dusty the Dog.  The educational display was set up outside the Golisano Children's Hospital Pediatric Practice for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
  (Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Becker, Dr. Stanley Schaffer, Dusty the Dog, Dr. Kristen Navarette, Linda Freligh)
• Our Fall newsletter is now available! Lead News for Healthcare Providers - Fall 2019
• As of October 1st, 2019 New York State has a lowered definition of an elevated blood lead level. Follow up is now required on all children with blood lead levels of 5 ug/dL and higher. For more details, see the NYS DOH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention website.

March 2019

• Our Spring newsletter is now available! Lead News for Healthcare Providers - Spring 2019

June 2018

• Summer newsletter now available! Lead News for Healthcare Providers – Summer 2018

January 2018

• Check out our latest newsletter! Lead for Healthcare Providers – Winter 2018

November 2017

• Judy Wadsworth, editor of the Monroe County School Boards Association (MCSBA) newsletter, included an article about our Oct 18^th conference in the MCSBA's November News Scope.

October 2017

• Thank you to all who participated in our October 18^th conference, "The Effect of Lead on Learning: The Way Forward."
  You can access the video and downloadable materials on the 2017 Conference page.

July 2017

• Dr. Schaffer and Jennifer Becker presented to the Chemung County Board of Health on the long term effects of lead exposure and the need for local partners to collaborate with the Health Department to prevent childhood lead poisoning in Elmira, with examples from Rochester and other cities. The Elmira Star Gazette reported on the event.

May 2017

• Check out our latest newsletter! Lead for Healthcare Providers - Spring/Summer 2017

February 2017

• Our Rochester Office of the Western NY Lead Poisoning Resource Center provides services to 9 counties, and the Buffalo Office covers 8 counties. The NYS Department of Health renewed our contract along with the other Regional Lead Resources Centers for an additional five years.

December 2016

• Dr. Schaffer served on the expert panel for the lead poisoning episode of the PBS show Second Opinion

November 2016

• Dr. Schaffer gave a presentation at The Children's Hospital Montefiore's Conference :  It Takes a Community: Organizing Around Lead

October 2016

• Our second newsletter is here! Lead for Healthcare Providers - Fall 2016
• A grant from the Wilson Community Foundation allowed the WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center to offer a blood testing at Rochester Head Start centers for young children attending Head Start and their siblings. The testing events occurred at eight Head Start centers in Rochester from mid-Sept to mid-Nov. UR Medicine Labs sent phlebotomists for the testing events.  Six of the Head Start centers are operated by Action for a Better Community, one by Ibero-American Action League, and one by Volunteers of America.

September 2016

• We participated in the 10 year anniversary of the City of Rochester's Lead Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Ordinance! Read the story in the Democrat and Chronicle.

Summer 2016

• We produced our first newsletter! Lead for Healthcare Providers - Spring 2016

March 2016

• Dr. Schaffer appeared on Fox News to discuss lead screening recommendations.
• TWC news interviewed Dr. Schaffer about lead in Brighton Schools' water.

February 2016

• MedPage Friday Feedback quotes both Dr. Schaffer and Dr. Cory-Slechta
• WXXI AM 1370 Connections with Evan Dawson featured Dr. Schaffer and other members of the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning on the topic: Flint, Rochester, and the Lead Problem.

November/December 2015

• The Lead Storyboard visited all eight Wayne County Head Start locations to help educate families about lead poisoning prevention.

October 2015

• Lena the Lion gave out coloring books for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week at AC-6 and Golisano Children's Hospital's trick or treat for children in the hospital.

August 2015

• Lead Storyboard at Baby Cafe Grand Opening on Aug 7th, Doemann Library, Bath NY and Wayne County Fair, Palmyra NY, August 10-15.

May 2015

• Thanks to all who participated in our May 15th conference: Collaboration to Overcome Lead Poisoning - The 2015 Upstate NY Lead Conference! Access video and downloadable materials.
• Jennifer Becker presented at the Finger Lakes Area Immunization Conference on May 20th; Lead An Ongoing Threat to Children's Health.

April 2015

• Online registration is open for our upcoming conference on May 15th: Collaboration to Overcome Lead Poisoning - The 2015 Upstate NY Lead Conference. This is made possible by a grant from the Wilson Community Pediatrics Fund

March 2015

• On March 4th, Dr. Schaffer presented at the NYS Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Council meeting in Albany. The Council is mandated by Section 1370-b of the NYS Laws of 1992. Its purpose is to review current childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts on the part of the New York State Department of Health and discuss future strategies to reduce or eliminate the risk of lead hazard exposure. View a video of the meeting
• At this meeting New York State also released the following statewide data:

• Childhood Blood Lead Testing and Incidence of Blood Lead Levels of 10 mcg/dL or Greater by Zip Code: Beginning 2003
• Childhood Blood Lead Testing and Incidence of Blood Lead Levels of 10 mcg/dL ir Greater by County Map 2012
• New York State Community Health Indicator Reports - Child and Adolescent Health Indicators
  • Percentage of children more in 2009 with a lead screening by 9 months
  • Percentage of children more in 2009 with a lead screening aged 10-17 months
  • Percentage of children more in 2009 with a lead screening aged 18-35 months
  • Percentage of children more in 2009 with at least two lead screenings by 36 months
  • Incidence of confirmed high blood lead level (10 micrograms or higher per deciliter) - rate per 1,000 tested children aged <72 months

November 2014

• Dan Telvock of Buffalo's Investigative Post interviews Dr. Schaffer in this three-part series on lead paint contamination in Buffalo (see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)

July 2014

• Facebook page launched! Like us for updates on lead’s health effects and how to prevent exposure.

June 2014

• Time Warner Cable News and WXXI radio interviewed Dr. Schaffer about a recently published research article: Blood Lead Concentrations and Children’s Behavioral and Emotional Problems: A Cohort Study. Jianghong Liu, PhD et al. JAMA Pediatr.

April 2014

• Dr. Schaffer, Dr. Byron Kennedy, and Elizabeth McDade speak about 2013 Monroe County Blood Lead Levels
• WXXI’s Need to Know Rochester features lead poisoning including interviews with Dr. Stanley Schaffer, Director of the WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center and Deborah Solomon, Assistant Principal at RCSD School #10. (at 0:50-11:10 on the video)

March 2014

• Through successful collaborations involving the Monroe County Department of Public Health, the City of Rochester, Rochester’s Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, the WNY Lead Poisoning Resource Center, our local insurers, and a host of other community organizations, Monroe County children’s average blood lead levels have fallen much faster over the last decade than have the average blood lead levels for NY State children and US children as a whole. See this article published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
• Monroe County Blood Lead Testing Data 2001-2013
• Childhood Lead Toxicity Update - presentation to Seneca County HHS In-service by Dr. James Campbell

2013 and Prior

• The Pediatric Grand Rounds presentation “Lead Poisoning in 2013 – It Ain’t What It Used to Be” is available for CME credit to doctors and nurses who register.
• Dr. Schaffer’s presentation at Finger Lakes Coalition to Stop Lead Poisoning Conference, October 2012 “Lead Poisoning: Where are We Now? Where are We Going?”