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Health staff urge more lead testing, note limits on remediation funding
Summary
Health department staff reported plans to increase Healthy Homes lead testing for young children by 15%, described past federal pass-through grant limitations that left funds unspent, and said remediation capacity and restrictive grant rules limit how much lead hazard work can be completed locally.
Health department speakers told the Evansville City Health Board they plan to increase lead testing for young children and continue outreach to primary care providers, but said remediation work is constrained by limited and restrictive funding.
Staff said the agency plans to increase testing for children age 0–6 by 15 percent. A health department speaker described efforts to expand testing at existing clinical touchpoints, including asking phlebotomists who collect hemoglobin to offer additional blood tests that would identify lead exposure.
The board discussed a recent federal pass-through grant administered under the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). Staff said the grant had restrictive rules and that the local program spent roughly $400,000 while about $1.0–1.5 million returned unused to the state because applicants could not meet the paperwork and eligibility requirements.
Speakers emphasized that testing is only the first step: identifying elevated blood lead levels makes remediation the priority, but local funding for remediation—window replacement, soil work and paint removal—is limited. One staff member said local efforts sometimes secure donated services (for example, a local window company replacing windows for free), but that the scope of remediation work often requires larger funding amounts than are available.
Board members asked whether the health department is reaching primary care providers and hospitals to increase screening. Staff said they are contacting providers and noted success expanding screening through lab staff who call families in advance to offer a lead test when patients are already in the facility for other testing.
No new budget or formal remediation program was approved during the meeting; staff requested continued support for outreach and data collection.
