Nebraska Methodist College initiative makes crucial children's lead screening convenient for families
Published: July 16, 2026
Volunteers from Nebraska Methodist College provided lead screenings on-site at Dodge County Head Start as families registered for the program.
The screenings are crucial because children under six are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, which often has no visible symptoms, said Alicia Whitehill, director of community engagement at Nebraska Methodist College.
"Children are lower to the ground. They like to put things in their mouth... Lead is sweet to the taste," she said. "That lead will cross the blood-brain barrier in a child, and it can cause speech delays, growth delays, developmental delays. It may come across as hyperactive or aggressive behaviors."
If that happens, she said it cannot be reversed but therapies can help.
The partnership with head start programs provides an effective way to ensure children in the targeted age group are screened. A van from Nebraska Methodist College will soon visit eight rural southeast Nebraska head start sites over two days, supported by philanthropic funding.
Methodist Hospital Foundation donors supported Tuesday's screenings. The Nebraska Blue Foundation funded the screenings, which allowed Nebraska Methodist College to expand the work to rural communities, Methodist said. The college's Mobile Health Clinic was funded by the Harper Family Foundation.
KETV: Initiative makes crucial children's lead screening convenient for families
