MetroHealth Recognized For Work Addressing Cleveland's Lead Crisis
The Ohio Patient Safety Institute recognized MetroHealth for its pioneering work to address the lead crisis in Greater Cleveland. The institute recently awarded MetroHealth with its Preventative Care Best Practice Award, which recognizes innovative programs designed improve patient safety.
With Greater Cleveland’s only dedicated pediatric lead clinic, MetroHealth has a long history of addressing lead exposure in the community. But over the last two years, MetroHealth has expanded its efforts to screen as many pediatric patients as possible for elevated lead levels – work that included making it easier than ever for families to have their children tested.
MetroHealth’s caregivers, for example, started collecting blood samples during routine pediatric well visits rather than asking families to wait in line at a lab or return later for a blood draw. Children with elevated lead levels are at risk for serious health issues including delayed development, learning and behavioral issues, inattention, hyperactivity, irritability and more.
MetroHealth’s pediatric lead nurse ensures all patients with elevated levels and their caregivers are notified of test results and connected with the appropriate provider for follow-up care. A community health worker also connects patients with resources that can assist with any sorts of lead abatement work. Click here to learn more about this ongoing work.
The Ohio Patient Safety Institute is a subsidiary of the Ohio Health Council, which was founded by The Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Association. To learn more about the awards, click here.
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
