GETTING THE LEAD OUT: WHY OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFER
Robert A. Lynch, PhD, MPH, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
The research of Robert Lynch, PhD, MPH in rural Oklahoma led the community and elected officials to take action to protect families against hazardous lead levels. "We need to ensure that policymakers understand how public health protects us all every day."
Dr. Lynch's work as a public health researcher grew from seeing how his research in a science lab could translate into helping people improve their health and their lives. He cherishes his opportunities to work with his local communities so that Oklahomans get the chance to see scientists in their everyday lives and to personally connect with the research. To do this, Lynch develops face-to-face relationships with community members. For example, when he began studying lead exposure in local communities, he met with tribal leaders and representatives from local high schools to explain his work to them. This personal interaction helped to build real partnerships and dispel any fears people may have had about taking part in a research study.
By doing this, Lynch succeeded in infusing a positive connection to research. He and his colleagues' research — gathered from taking blood samples of peoples' children in their homes, collecting dust, paint samples, etc, and counseling Oklahomans on the risks of handling lead (for instance warning them of the danger in making their own fishing weights, which traditionally have been made of lead) — led to one of the most gratifying accomplishments of Lynch's career.
The results of the study confirmed that many rural Oklahomans were living in conditions with levels of lead that were hazardous to their health. The community reacted and declared that these conditions were unacceptable. They contacted their elected officials, demanded action, funds, and clean up. They were able to convince their Congressional members to fund federal buyout of contaminated homes and to take other measures to limit the exposure of Oklahomans to lead.
Lynch wants Americans and policymakers to know that through efforts like his and his colleagues, public health saves lives every day in their own communities. He is concerned, however, that unless there's a major catastrophe, no one knows or seems to care about the heroes that dedicate their careers to improving the safety and health of all Americans. More worrisome is that no one in Lynch's department is under 50 years old. He wonders who will protect America's health in the generations to come if this trend of turning away from public health continues. Lynch says, "We need our health and regulatory agencies, such as the EPA to stand up and declare that they are a public health agency. We need to make our public health jobs competitive and we need to ensure that policymakers understand how public health protects us every day."