HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ - 11 Correspondence Cortland County - Lead Poisoning Needs AssessmentCORTLAND COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING Nicole Anjeski, MS, MPH
60 CENTRAL AVENUE Public Health Director
CORTLAND, NEW YORK 13045-2746 Lisa Perfetti, BSN, RN
(607) 753-5036 Deputy Public Health Director
FAX: (607) 753-5209 Ngozi Mezu-Patel, MD
http://www.cortland-co.org/432/Health-Department Medical Advisor
WORKING TO BUILD A HEALTHY COMMUNITY SINCE 1929
TO: Local Media
FROM: Nicole Anjeski, Public Health Director, Cortland County Health Department
RE: The Cortland County Health Department announces the release of the 2023 Cortland County
Childhood Lead Poisoning Needs Assessment
DATE: 10/26/2023
The Cortland County Health Department announces the release of the 2023 Cortland County Childhood Lead
Poisoning Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment outlines local data on outcomes and risk factors for lead
poisoning. Additionally, the report includes the results of the Photovoice project which involved community
members personally impacted by lead poisoning sharing their insights through photos, captions, and a focus
group.
Lead poisoning can damage a child’s brain and nervous system, resulting in lifelong health problems and
economic impacts. The results of this assessment will educate leaders, municipalities, landlords, healthcare
providers and other stakeholders on the burden of lead poisoning locally. Cortland County Health Department’s
current lead poisoning prevention program is funded for education and to address lead poisoning after a child is
already poisoned with lead. This assessment serves as a call to action to stakeholders to consider ways our
community can work to address lead poisoning before it occurs.
Stakeholders are encouraged to read the summary and full assessment. Key points include:
Cortland County has a higher rate of childhood lead poisoning than New York State.
o 39 per 1,000 children tested ages six or younger in Cortland County had a high blood lead level
(compared to 10.4 per 1,000 children tested in New York State).
Exposure to lead paint in the home is the number one risk factor for lead poisoning in Cortland
County.
o 94% of children in Cortland County identified as having an elevated blood lead level spent
significant amounts of time in a home in which lead paint hazards were identified.
o 91% of the homes in Cortland County identified as having lead paint during CCHD
environmental assessments were built before 1930.
o 59% of homes in Cortland County identified as having lead paint during CCHD environmental
assessment were rental properties.
Lead poisoning has emotional and economic impacts on families in Cortland County.
o Community members with personal experience related to childhood lead poisoning participated
in the Photovoice project for this assessment. Participants shared photos and captions that
represent how lead poisoning impacted their life, highlighting the burden this preventable health
condition has on our community members. One community focus group participant stated: “You
went to the doctor and your kid had a high lead level […] then what happens after that? You
need to repaint […] that’s a lot of money, and that wouldn’t be anywhere near the budget for my
household.”
Cortland County Health Department staff are available to present the results of this assessment to interested
stakeholders in the community. Contact: Margaret Broderick at mbroderick@cortland-co.org or 607-753-5108
and Suzanne Osterhoudt at sosterhoudt@cortland-co.org
The Childhood Lead Poisoning in Cortland County Needs Assessment (2023)
Summary document with key points and stakeholder action steps
CCHD will be centering the voices of community members impacted by lead poisoning through a social
media campaign that will highlight the photos/captions collected from the Photovoice project. Follow
Cortland County Health Department on Facebook.