(Elmira, NY) – ACCEL Clinic in Elmira recently celebrated its one year anniversity by announcing the community health clinic has served more than 100 individuals (78 children and 28 adults) with lead testing through the program.
Children in Chemung County have higher lead levels compared to children across New York State (11% vs. 5%). High lead levels in children can lead to serious health and behavioral issues later in life. However, when lead poisoning is identified early, many of these issues can be reversed with proper treatment and remediation.
Elizabeth Derr is the Health Educator and Health Services Coordinator at EOP, Inc., and she has been involved with the ACCEL Clinic since it opened last year. She says, “Lead is a metal that can hurt children and adults. Children may not look or act sick, but a blood test could show they have lead poisoning. It can harm their growth, behavior, and ability to learn. Lead can also be a problem for adults as well; especially pregnant women and their babies.”
Samantha White, Public Health Program Coordinator at the Chemung County Health Department states, “Lead exposure is preventable, and the ACCEL Clinic is playing a vital role in early detection. We can all prevent exposure to lead in our own households by keeping an eye out for peeling and chipping paint, washing hands and toys often, wet-mopping, and taking our shoes off when we come in the front door, but lead exposure is a community-wide issue. The ACCEL Clinic is bridging the gap in our community by connecting families with resources to live their healthiest lives.”
ACCEL stands for Arnot Health, Chemung County Health Department, EOP, Inc., and LECOM, and the name represents the way these organizations have come together to stand in the gap for families who experience various barriers to the medical care they need. The ACCEL Clinic is underwritten by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
