Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will use the March Traveling City Hall meeting to help call attention to the need to screen children for lead poisoning. The meeting will be held at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 2227 W. Michigan St., on Wednesday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m.
Vanderburgh County public health officials say the number of children screened for lead poisoning has dropped dramatically. According to Vanderburgh County Health Department records, there are 14,128 children under age six in Vanderburgh County, but only 2,203 have had the needed blood test. That is a concern because long-term exposure to lead can lead to IQ loss, behavioral problems and nerve damage.
Mayor Winnecke will open the March Traveling City Hall meeting and introduce city and county department heads and elected officials. Dwayne Caldwell, Environmental Health Supervisor for the Vanderburgh County Health Department, will offer a presentation on the causes and dangers of lead poisoning and the importance of screening children for lead poisoning.
Caldwell will use the opportunity to invite the public to a Lead Poisoning Awareness & Screening Health Fair at Lutheran Family Center, 16 E. Michigan Street from 2-6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9 during National Public Health Week. The health fair will offer free on-site blood tests for children under age 6. Toys, pottery and imported dishes brought to the event will also be screened for lead.
When the whole state is struggling to stay above water and working for paltry RTW wages, sadly lead testing is probably the last thing on their minds.
Lead testing is free when done by Vanderburgh County Health Department. That has nothing to do with RTW or any other Democrat talking points. Since you brought it up…can you provide a link to a reputable source that shows median household income or per capita personal income has dropped since RTW was established in our fine state?
Can anyone go to VCHD or do you need to be on welfare?
This link, http://www.evansville.in.gov/index.aspx?page=650 says the lead test is free but I see nothing to disqualify anyone based on income.
If you mean income qualifications as a whole to use their other services I couldn’t find anything but then I think the web design of to many government sites suck hind tit, this one included.
Anyone can go. They offer vaccinations, etc. to the public, as long as they are residents of Vanderburgh County.
I was referring to them testing your house. After I posted the comment, I realized that the post was referring to blood screening. Several years ago, my daughter had lead show up on her bloodwork. VCHD tested the house for free. Considering that I’ve never been on welfare in my adult life, I would assume that they offer services to everyone.
A friend of mine, who has a good income and insurance had the same thing happen with her son about three years ago. I’m thinking her family doctor did the initial screening and referred her to the Health Dept. for follow-up.
Anyone can legally go. We are afterall citizens of the same country that operates the health department.
I did go there once for immunizations for my children for school. I am fairly well off and drive a Mercedes Benz. The people in line saw the Benz and the way my kids were dressed and called us everything from thieves to rich assholes. Do they not realize it is tax dollars from people like me that pay for this service.
Since then I haven’t been back but I do have a distinct dislike for the entitlement minded jerks at the health department who treated my family like pirates for using what we paid for with our taxes.
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