Lead screening machine on its way
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 10, 2026
Molina Healthcare and Seattle Children’s Care Network are partnering to help identify Whidbey Island children who have been exposed to lead.
Seattle Children’s Care Network, or SCCN, will be delivering a free state-of-the art lead screening machine to the Pediatric Associates of Whidbey Island soon. This initiative is part of SCCN’s greater effort to deliver seven new lead screening machines to clinics across Washington. The program was funded by the Molina Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit which gave a $40,000 grant to SCCN for the purpose of bringing lead screening machines to more underserved communities in Western Washington.
“Childhood exposure to lead can have adverse long-term effects on physical health and brain development. Even at low levels, lead exposure can lead to behavioral challenges in children and contribute to lower academic performance,” Molina Healthcare Public Relations Director Rhonda Frazier wrote in a press release.
Lead screenings are recommended for all children, but even so, only 7% children have been screened in Washington, according to the release. This is less than the national average of 18% of kids screened for lead, states the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Island County screening rate is drastically lower than the state average, sitting closer to 2.36%, according to the Washington Tracking Network. By funding more lead screening machines, Molina Healthcare intends to increase early detection for children on Whidbey and across Washington, a Molina healthcare spokesperson told the News-Times.
The Pediatric Associates of Whidbey Island has a clinic in both Oak Harbor and Freeland. As part of SCCN’s network, and since it has a broad reach accross Whidbey, it is a great option to expand access to point-of-care testing for families on Whidbey Island, said a Molina healthcare spokesperson. The clinic staff is currently coordinating with SCCN to determine the exact placement of the new lead screening machine based on clinic need, the spokesperson added.
“Given the lifelong impacts of lead exposure, it is critical that we increase access to testing for newborns and children,” Dr. Kenisha Campbell, chief medical officer at Seattle Children’s Care Network, said in a press release. “By funding screening machines for clinics that currently do not have them, Molina is helping to ensure undeserved areas can increase their screening rates, leading to early detection and treatment so children in Washington are given a healthy start.”
The lead testing machine will use a rapid blood test, which is the most effective way to determine whether a child has been exposed to lead, states the Washington Tracking Network. Testing is recommended for children less than around six years old.
A Molina Healthcare spokesperson said a new lead screening machine on the island will increase screening, and simultaneously connect more families to follow-up care and resources if needed.
The Pediatric Associates of Whidbey Island has not commented on when they will receive the new screening machine.
