Houston Chronicle, Nov. 19, 2007 Two top Galveston County health officials volunteered Monday to share the title of "lead czar" and head up a task force to confront one of the highest child lead-poisoning rates in Texas and the nation. The new lead czars accepted the title at a meeting on how to deal with a study showing that 19 percent of Galveston children, 5 and younger, suffer from lead poisoning, compared with 1.6 percent nationally. Lead czars Dr. Ben Raimer, who heads Community Health Services at UTMB, and Dr. Mark Guidry, chief operating officer of the county health district, were among officials representing key organizations concerned about the study. Pamela Diamond, director of the community outreach program at UTMB's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center, also is quoted.