A partnership of Northeast Ohio hospitals wants to increase the rate of lead screening tests in Cleveland’s kids under two from 69% to 79% by the end of June.
Dr. Matthew Tien is a pediatrician and lead poisoning expert for MetroHealth System, one of the hospitals in the Better Health Partnership. He says hospitals are adding lead tests to routine checkups and following up with parents about best practices at home. The goal is to see a measurable difference in testing rates and improve early detection of lead poisoning in the city’s children.
“We hope that, even though it's not a huge window of time, we'll be able to have a measurable difference,” Tien said. “We'll be able to move the needle in terms of improving lead testing.”
Cleveland’s lead poisoning rates for children under six are among the highest in the country. But the city has seen declining rates over the last two years, and the partnership looks to build on that momentum. Lead poisoning rates in Cleveland for kids under six dropped to a low of 15.8% in 2025, still much higher than the national rate of 2.5%.
Tien says the hospitals are working to provide better lead education to parents when they come for well visits and using registers to track tests across the city.
“It's been great to share techniques — all sorts of little ways that we could put in place to make sure that kids don't fall through the cracks,” Tien said.
Tien says the partnership could overlap with other initiatives to improve children’s health in other areas, including asthma care and mental health. He says the collaborative spirit between hospitals inspires him.
“You know, the world seems like kind of like a crazy place right now,” Tien said. “So, the fact that competitors can still share and work together when it means something better for the kids, that gives me some hope.”
