Health workers get lead-test help from Flint student nurses

The nursing students and faculty members from UM-Flint, who draw and test blood and provide educational materials to parents, have been a huge assist to the overworked Genesee County Health Department as it has tested tens of thousands of people for lead exposure since the scope of the problem became clear last year.

About 8,000 children under age 6 have been potentially exposed to lead since the city, which was under state financial management, began drawing its drinking water from the Flint River in 2014 to save money.

Elevated lead levels have been found in more than 200 children and 100 adults in Flint, a worry since lead contamination has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems.

Following an on-site meeting with medical professionals, Looney called the results "unsettling" and vowed to set up doctor visits and have her children undergo more testing.

Robinson, who has been appointed the nursing department's liaison to the county health department, works to match services from UM-Flint nursing and affiliate groups to the needs of the department — including organizing student volunteers for clinics, such as the one at Richfield.