Flint residents now can officially take full advantage of the Flint Registry, an effort to connect residents to programs and other resources that serve to minimize the effects of lead on their health, while promoting wellness and recovery. After a year of development and pre-enrollment, the registry already has 6,000 people signed up.
A celebration with community members, Michigan State University leaders and elected officials was held at the Flint Farmers’ Market on Jan. 18. Federal legislators, including U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, as well as U.S. Congressmen Dan Kildee and John Moolenaar were in attendance and all were vital in securing funding as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation, or WIIN, Act of 2016.
“For the past year, we have been working hand-in-hand with the Flint community to build the registry,” said Nicole Jones, director of the Flint Registry. “Made in Flint and based in Flint, we are excited to get everyone enrolled.”
One of the many services the registry will provide is connecting individuals to Genesee Health System’s Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence, or NCE. Thanks to both an ACLU settlement and federal Healthy Start resources, area children now have access to free and robust neurodevelopmental assessment services.
“The Flint Registry addresses the needs of people who were affected by lead-contaminated water because they lived, worked, attended school or daycare in Flint," said Mona Hanna-Attisha, associate professor of pediatrics at the MSU College of Human Medicine and director of the MSU Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. “I encourage everyone of all ages to sign-up, so you can be connected, supported and counted. The more people enrolled, the more powerful the registry will be.”
According to Katherine M. Burrell, NCE associate director, the NCE will allow registered families to obtain an easy referral path for screening and neuropsychological testing.
“The partnership with the Flint Registry is an important one,” Burrell said. “The more we know about each child, the more we can do as a community to help provide them with what
they need.”
To enroll and learn more about additional health programs and resources, visit flintregistry.org or call (833) GO-FLINT.
For more information about the NCE, visit www.genhs.org/nce.