KCMS: Fighting Childhood Lead Poisoning (2019–2023)

Overview

From 2019 to 2023, the King County Medical Society (KCMS)—in proud partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) and numerous community collaborators—designed and executed a comprehensive initiative to combat childhood lead poisoning.
This multi-phased, grant-funded program built a sustainable infrastructure for clinical education, community engagement, youth empowerment, and policy advocacy around environmental health justice.

The structures we created—education programs, clinical integration tools, community partnerships—continue to protect King County’s children today.

“Prevention is powerful. KCMS made it possible.”

Why Lead Poisoning Prevention Matters

Lead poisoning remains a silent but devastating public health threat:

  • Causes irreversible neurological, cognitive, and physical damage.

  • Disproportionately impacts low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities.

  • Washington State ranks among the bottom five states nationally for childhood blood lead testing rates.

Despite decades of awareness, over 8,000 children in King County are estimated to have elevated blood lead levels—most of them undiagnosed and untreated.

There is no safe level of lead in a child’s body.
Lead poisoning is 100% preventable—but the damage is permanent.

KCMS’s Comprehensive Approach

Phase 1: Building Testing Infrastructure (2019–2020)

  • Launched the Lead Testing Days Program, offering free blood lead screenings at community centers, health fairs, festivals, clinics, and schools across King County.

  • Licensed medical staff provided on-site capillary testing with immediate results.

  • Created mobile testing systems, consent procedures, multilingual education materials (English, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese), and referral protocols.

  • Partnered with clinics, schools, and public health agencies for broad outreach.

Impact:

  • Hundreds of children tested—many receiving their first-ever blood lead screening.

  • Families with elevated lead results were immediately connected to clinical care and public health resources.

Phase 2: Expanding Clinical Education (2020–2021)

Grant-Funded CME/CNE Initiative:

  • KCMS received funding to design and deliver an accredited CME/CNE program:
    “Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning” (EN2206)

  • Developed in partnership with the University of Washington School of Medicine.

  • Available as an enduring, online course for two years (2021–2023).

  • Provided up to 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians.

Live Virtual Conference:

  • Hosted July 17, 2021 — 200+ participants live, with over 1,000 accessing enduring materials afterward.

  • Topics included clinical management, environmental health interventions, legislative advocacy, and health equity.

  • Simultaneous interpretation services ensured accessibility for multilingual participants.

Faculty and Planners Included:

  • Physicians, nurses, environmental health experts, public health leaders, and community advocates.

  • Emphasis on culturally responsive, community-engaged education.

Phase 3: Youth Engagement and Community Empowerment (2020–2022)

Virtual Youth Science Fair:

  • Targeted 5th–8th graders across King County.

  • Students researched lead’s biological effects, environmental risks, prevention strategies, and historical context.

  • Winning projects presented at statewide conferences alongside physicians and policymakers.

  • Elevated young public health leaders and amplified awareness across communities.

Health & Housing Justice Conferences:

  • Co-hosted statewide conferences addressing the intersections of lead exposure, housing discrimination, systemic racism, and tenant rights.

Phase 4: Embedding Lead Testing into Clinical Practice (2022–2023)

Lead Testing Quality Improvement (QI) Module:

  • Designed and approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

  • Helps pediatric clinics integrate lead screening into standard well-child visits.

  • Tracks lead testing rates, outcomes, and supports public health reporting.

  • Positioned for relaunch and expansion post-COVID disruptions.

Key Outcomes (2019–2023)

Area Impact
Childhood Testing Organized 15+ free Lead Testing Days; tested hundreds of children; immediate clinical referrals for elevated cases.
Healthcare Education Developed accredited CME/CNE course; over 1,000 professionals trained; standardized best practices statewide.
Community Engagement Hosted Youth Science Fair; multilingual outreach; culturally responsive education materials; grassroots events.
Policy and Systems Change Passed statewide resolutions through WSMA; advocated for lead legislation; collaborated with state leaders and environmental justice advocates.
Equity Focus Prioritized outreach in BIPOC and immigrant communities; multilingual services; rebuilt healthcare trust.
Sustainability Created enduring materials; built clinic infrastructure for ongoing testing; developed replicable models for other regions.

Why It Matters

KCMS’s childhood lead poisoning prevention initiative stands as a model for what community-centered, clinically rigorous, and equity-driven public health action can achieve.

We didn’t just host events—we built systems for change:

  • Training clinicians for the future

  • Centering vulnerable communities

  • Driving lasting policy reforms

  • Protecting young lives today and tomorrow

Through these efforts, KCMS proved that with the right partnerships, leadership, and commitment, we can confront—and overcome—some of the most entrenched environmental health injustices in our communities.