FLINT, Mich. – The Flint Registry celebrated going live after one year of pre-launch and development. Almost 6,000 people have already pre-enrolled in the Flint Registry. The celebration was held at the Flint Farmers’ Market on Friday, Jan. 18.
Community members, Michigan State University leadership and elected officials gave remarks and shared why the Flint Registry is vital to the community’s recovery.
The celebration thanked and featured federal legislators, including U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee, who secured registry funding as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016.
“For the past year, we have been working hand-in-hand with the Flint community to build the Flint Registry,” said Dr. Nicole Jones, director of the Flint Registry. “Made in Flint and based in Flint, we are excited to get everyone enrolled.”
The Flint Registry identifies individuals exposed to the Flint water crisis, connects people to services and programs to promote health and wellness, and helps provide an understanding of how the crisis has affected the Flint community.
“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. I encourage everyone – it’s for all ages – to sign-up so you can be connected, supported and counted,” said Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, associate professor of pediatrics at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and director of MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. “The more people enrolled, the more powerful the Flint Registry will be.”
One of the many services the Flint Registry connects individuals to is the new Genesee Health System’s Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence (NCE). Thanks to both an ACLU settlement and federal Healthy Start resources, Flint children now have access to free and robust neurodevelopmental assessment services.
Dr. Katherine M. Burrell, NCE Associate Director said, “The new Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence allows for families registered with the Flint Registry to have an easy referral path to obtain screening and neuropsychological testing. The partnership with the Flint Registry is an important one. 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, visit flintregistry.org, email flintregistry@hc.msu.edu, or call (833) GO-FLINT. For more information about the Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence visit www.genhs.org/nce.
