Falls are the leading cause of injury death for people over 65 years old across the country, and more than 1,800 older Wisconsinites died from them in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. 

But fall injuries don’t have to be so common.

Wisconsin Watch talked with local experts and attended three Madison-area classes designed to improve balance and prevent fall injuries: Stepping On, Parkour for Seniors and Ballroom Basics for Balance. 

Here’s what we learned.

Practicing balance can be fun

Children walk on curbs and twirl on purpose. But as people get taller, heavier and older they often stop practicing movements that help with balance, said Susan Frikken, a physical therapist and co-creator of Ballroom Basics for Balance. 

The class uses music and different dance genres to teach people to improve balance. Students often waltz on their tip toes, turn during tangos and switch from lead to follower to challenge their minds during salsa.

The nonprofit Safe Communities outlines its “Keys to Better Balance” on its website, including the balance exercises used during ballroom dancing and movements people can do at home. 

Throw away the throw rug

Loose rugs and cluttered walkways increase fall risk. Small home improvements like taping down rugs, installing grab bars and adding bright tape to stairs can significantly improve safety, according to the AARP.

AgeBetter Today provides free home safety assessments for older adults in Dane County. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, residents can ask their Aging and Disability Resource Center about local home safety resources. 

Talk about falls

Stepping On is a multi-week fall prevention course that has been shown to reduce falls by more than 30%. Wisconsin residents can find a statewide list of classes through the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. 

Attendees at a recent class in Madison reviewed the importance of regular eye exams. 

Marcy DeGreef, who facilitated the class, suggested discussing fall risk with health care providers. It’s important for people to understand how the medication they are taking might  impact balance, she explained. 

Additional resources

The National Council on Aging provides an online exam to help determine a person’s fall risk. 

The Madison School and Community Recreation program guide lists classes — like Parkour for Seniors —- that help people build fall resiliency. People can register online or get assistance by calling 608-204-3000. 

The post How to maintain balance as you age — and prevent dangerous falls appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

After years of opioid use, Bob saw three paths ahead: jail, death or methadone.

The 70-year-old Stevens Point resident chose methadone, which he has stuck with for more than half his life. He credits the treatment for his long career and ability to raise two daughters. Now retired, he sits in a recliner holding a sheet of paper with a list of old friends; he’s written “OD” next to the names of several loved ones killed by drugs.

Methadone is highly effective at reducing illicit opioid use and overdoses, experts say. It reduces drug cravings, prevents withdrawal and can provide stability without a mind-altering high.

More than 10,000 Wisconsinites used methadone treatment in 2024 to recover from opioid use disorder. But state regulations make accessing treatment more difficult for those patients, providers and researchers say.

The federal government sets minimum standards for clinics providing methadone treatment aimed at preventing misuse. Wisconsin adds more than a dozen more restrictive requirements, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

For patients, the state’s laws can mean waiting longer to enroll in treatment, daily drives to the clinic — even on weekends and holidays — and waiting longer to reach an effective dose.

Two years after the federal government relaxed its rules, Wisconsin’s landscape remains largely unchanged. Providers and researchers want Wisconsin to catch up with newer standards adopted by other states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. 

The Department of Health Services is reviewing Wisconsin’s rules, but it’s unclear what will change or when.

Long drives for methadone treatment 

Bob wakes up at 4:30 a.m. and starts the 40-minute drive to his treatment clinic. Years ago, he left that early to make it to work on time. Now, he just likes to beat the crowd.

Wisconsin Watch is identifying people who use methadone by first name only to protect their private health information. 

Bob tries not to pee before starting the drive. He knows clinic staff will likely send him into the bathroom with a cup as soon as he arrives. It’s been two decades since he used drugs or alcohol, but he takes the drug test all the same.

Next, he walks up to a clinic window, where someone hands him 13 plastic bottles of a cherry red liquid. Bob locks the medications inside a box he brought from home. A staff member watches as he swallows another dose.

He’ll do it all again in 13 days. The treatment saved his life, but it keeps him tied to this time-intensive routine — and to a clinic in another town. 

“Methadone is like having a pair of golden handcuffs,” he says.

Unlike other medications, methadone cannot be picked up from a pharmacy. Only 31 locations across Wisconsin are approved to provide medication-assisted opioid treatments including methadone, according to the state health department.

At the state’s northernmost clinic in Wausau, patients traveled an average of 31 miles, one way, to their clinic in 2024.

Wisconsin allows fewer take-home doses 

Methadone can be fatal if misused. To prevent people from overusing it or selling it, the federal government limited the number of take-home doses patients receive. 

Early in the pandemic, the federal government allowed states to relax take-home rules to limit crowding at clinics — and many states did so. Studies later showed higher patient satisfaction and feelings of being respected without a significant increase in misuse.

In making the pandemic exceptions permanent in 2024, federal regulators wrote that the previous standards “can pose disruption to employment, education and other daily activities for patients, and several of the criteria reflect outdated biases that promote stigma and discourage people from engaging in care.”

But Wisconsin’s take-home regulations remain stricter than the federal minimums from before the pandemic.

The federal standard allows patients like Bob to take home 28 doses at a time. Wisconsin allows only 13.

Wisconsin patients must visit their clinic seven days a week until they complete a month in treatment and meet other criteria not required by the federal government. It takes a year in Wisconsin to qualify for the number of take-home doses providers in other states can offer patients after two weeks. 

Random callbacks disrupt routines

State rules also require clinics to regularly “call back” patients, like Bob, who have more than two take-home doses. The callbacks are intended to help providers make sure patients are not selling or misusing take-home doses. 

Between visits, Bob’s provider often calls and tells him to arrive at the clinic within 24 hours with all 13 methadone bottles. If he doesn’t, he has to go back to daily clinic visits. 

Federal rules do not require callbacks. In a 2024 report, federal regulators said providers should “consider the disruptive nature of random callbacks.”

It’s hard to make plans knowing you might have to change them any moment, Bob says. “I want to be normal again.”

Rules changes under review 

Wisconsin is an outlier whose policies are overdue for an update, said Sharel Rogers, CEO of Addiction Medical Solutions and Vin Baker Recovery. She also serves as president of the Wisconsin Association of Treatment for Opioid Dependence.

Rogers was among several providers who backed a bill last month to update state rules. The measure was introduced right before the legislative session ended and was not expected to pass, but supporters hoped it would push regulators to act.

Wisconsin health officials are considering changing opioid treatment regulations, but without legislative action, the process could take years.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services aims to ensure state regulations support access to “high-quality, evidence-based care for those who need it,” wrote Elizabeth Goodsitt, a spokesperson for the agency.

The agency started the state’s “intentionally thorough” rulemaking process last year to bring state regulations “closer in alignment with current federal regulations,” Goodsitt said.

The agency is still drafting proposed changes. They would be subject to public hearings and lawmaker approval in a process that ensures input from providers, advocates and patients, Goodsitt said.

The health department declined to answer detailed questions. Staff plan to review enrollment and take-home requirements, according to a document submitted to the Legislature. It’s not clear if other discrepancies, like callbacks, lab testing or dosage levels, will be addressed.

Opioid treatment providers should be carefully regulated, but Wisconsin’s current rules create barriers for patients, Rogers said.

“I’m just amazed at these patients every day, what they will do for their own recovery,” she said.

Recovery under tight restrictions

Timothy overdosed three times before starting treatment. 

After nine months in Marathon County jail, he relapsed unaware of his lowered tolerance and the strength of the drug supply in 2022.

Within a couple of months, he started methadone.

“Some people don’t get out of that. A lot of people don’t,” Timothy said. “I’m grateful.”

Opioid overdose deaths dropped by more than 42% in Wisconsin between 2023 and 2024, according to the state health department. Still, opioids killed 815 people in Wisconsin in 2024, compared with fewer than 300 deaths two decades earlier. 

Rising overdose rates are driven in part by fentanyl, a more potent opioid. Patients with a history of fentanyl use typically need higher methadone doses, said Dr. Hillary Tamar, who oversees Wisconsin treatment providers as a medical director for Community Medical Services. 

Wisconsin rules prohibit providers from giving new patients a starting dose above 30 milligrams of methadone. That limit is outdated in the fentanyl era, Tamar said. The average dose at most Wisconsin clinics in 2024 was above 100 milligrams. 

Updated federal limits allow providers to start patients at 50 milligrams or higher, based on their clinical judgment. A higher starting dose can help patients avoid withdrawal and reach a stable dose sooner, Tamar said. 

Federal regulations also give providers greater ability to decide whether a patient may benefit from fewer visits.

“The regulations in Wisconsin bind us to creating a one size fits all plan, and that is just not how humans work,” Tamar said.

Despite attending regular counseling and dosing in-person daily for four years, Timothy still doesn’t qualify for a single take-home dose in Wisconsin. 

That’s because he started using cannabis while undergoing chemotherapy around the time he started methadone treatment. Now in remission, he is working with his counselor to stop using cannabis, but it still prevents him from receiving take-home doses in Wisconsin.

In other states, marijuana use does not bar patients from receiving take-homes, Tamar said.

Last month, Timothy received two take-home methadone bottles while visiting his daughter in Florida.

Before leaving Wisconsin, he worked with staff at his clinic to set up a week’s worth of visits with a Florida provider. He was surprised when the new clinic told him he would receive take-home doses over the weekend.

When at home in Wisconsin, Timothy doesn’t mind the daily clinic visits. But when he’s with his daughter, they remind him of his past mistakes. 

For two days he mixed his medication with apple juice and celebrated his 45th birthday with his family without stopping at the clinic.

He said it was the best time of his life.

The post ‘Golden handcuffs’: Wisconsin methadone rules limit access to opioid treatment appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Tim Scott was shocked when he was laid off in May as the executive director of Nearby Nature, an organization that works to reconnect Black people to nature by offering nature education classes and introducing residents to new outdoor experiences. 

Instead of letting the sudden change deter him, he doubled down on his commitment to help Milwaukee residents experience the outdoors. 

Scott is opening Urban Nature Connection, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting Black and Brown communities with nature. 

The organization’s mission is to promote the physical, spiritual and mental health of outdoor activities such as birding, gardening, biking, hiking and fishing.

Finding a new purpose

According to Scott’s wife, Theresa Scott, he has always been an outdoorsman. 

“He has always enjoyed walking or spending time in the park or outdoors,” Theresa Scott said. 

Tim Scott spent most of his career in construction work. 

He’s also done some coaching and marriage counseling but said he found a new purpose when he took the role at Nearby Nature. 

“This is my passion, this is my healer, I owe nature my life to tell you the truth,” Scott said.

His wife agrees. 

“I think this is a great second career for him,” she said. “It’s better for his mind and his body.” 

Scott said he now knows the importance of pushing nature as a healing mechanism, especially for those who don’t have access to mental health services. 

“We all experience trauma in different ways,” Scott said. “But we don’t all have access to the same mental health services. Being out in nature really saved me when I was experiencing my own crisis.” 

By connecting people with nature, Scott hopes to help others find their own healing. 

Programs

In addition to outdoor activities, the organization will focus on indoor gardening, programming and advocacy of green space.

Over the next few months, the focus will be on getting people outside even during the colder months.

“A lot of our work will be advocacy,” he said. “So, we will center advocacy through every season.”

Scott says he plans to partner with other agencies to host wellness events, community discussions and group walks.

To keep up with Urban Nature Connection, you can follow its Facebook page here.

“What he wants to do here is truly a movement,” Theresa Scott said.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

The post New nonprofit wants to connect Black and Brown people to nature appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

People who rely on the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace to choose health insurance for 2026 must contend with a host of challenges as the open enrollment period begins. Those include hikes in premiums and other fees, the potential ending of tax credits that made payments more affordable, and fewer options in some areas. 

That’s as a growing number of residents have used the marketplace. More than 300,000 Wisconsinites, or about 5% of the state’s population, signed up for plans last year at HealthCare.gov — more than double the enrollment from about a decade ago. 

If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed while considering your options, here is some information that might help. 

How long does open enrollment last? 

It began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Choose a plan by Dec. 15 if you want coverage to kick in by Jan. 1. 

How much will premiums increase? 

Here’s some bad news: Premiums in Wisconsin will increase on average by 17.4% next year, a Wisconsin Watch analysis shows. If it’s any consolation, that’s less than the estimated 26% national hike as reported by KFF, a health policy nonprofit.

“Wisconsin is better than the national average,” said Adam VanSpankeren, navigator program manager of Covering Wisconsin, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension program that helps people enroll in publicly funded health care. “Don’t be afraid to look at your plan and see what’s available because you’ll probably be able to find an affordable option.”

Premiums for most plans will increase by 9.4% to 19%. Premiums for a few outlying plans will surge by over 33.3%.

The increases depend on where you live. For example, the new benchmark plan in Milwaukee County will be 44% more expensive than the 2025 benchmark. That’s compared to an increase of just 8.13% in La Crosse and Trempealeau counties.

A benchmark plan refers to the second-cheapest Silver-tier plan, an Affordable Care Act concept used to calculate subsidies to help a marketplace enrollee pay their premiums. 

Benchmark plans in Sawyer and Ashland counties will become the state’s most expensive next year, with 27-year-olds paying premiums of $637.57 per month. The two counties also stand out when comparing the average plan costs. The state’s cheapest benchmark plans will be found in Kewaunee, Brown, Door, Shawano, Oconto, Marinette and Manitowoc counties, where a 27-year-old will pay $444.58 monthly.

Statewide prices for Common Ground Health Cooperative will increase an average of 16.6% in 2026, including more noticeable hikes of at least 30% in Jefferson and Walworth counties. The company attributed the changes to rising health care costs and a changing federal landscape.

“By updating our rates, we can ensure the sustainability of our marketplace product and continue to deliver high-quality care to our members,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to Wisconsin Watch.

What is happening with subsidies? 

More than 86% of Wisconsin enrollees last year received advanced premium tax credits that lowered the cost of premiums by an average of $585, according to KFF.

But one major subsidy, the enhanced premium tax credit, introduced in 2021, is set to expire at the end of 2025. Democrats in Congress have called for the credits to be extended in a debate that’s central to the ongoing federal government shutdown. 

The tax credit’s expiration would result in lower reimbursements for eligible households. Households with an income of more than four times the federal poverty level will no longer be eligible for any federal tax credit.

“How much Wisconsinites’ healthcare coverage costs will increase varies depending on age, income, plan selection, and available insurers in each county, but many Wisconsinites will see their premiums increase significantly, with seniors and middle-class families seeing some of the largest increases if Republicans in Congress do not extend enhanced tax credits under Affordable Care Act,” Evers wrote in an Oct. 27 press release.

A 60-year-old couple making around $85,000 in Barron County could see premiums skyrocket over 800%, with an annual increase of over $33,000 in costs, according to calculations by the Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek’s office. The same couple living in Dane County could see premiums triple, paying nearly $20,000 extra a year. 

VanSpankeren says to examine your options as soon as you can, with help from insurance agents or navigators such as those at Covering Wisconsin.

“That (cost increase) does not mean be scared or anxious or stay away from the marketplace,” VanSpankeren said. “It means you’ve got to look again, and you’ve got to do your homework and work with a navigator if you need to.”

If you’re looking for a marketplace plan, it’s a good time to estimate your income for the year, VanSpankeren added, even if that seems difficult. If your income changes over the year, you can report that later.

“You’re just going to do your best, and that’s all anybody can do,” he said. “But really take that extra time to calculate it, however close you can, it’s going to help you a lot in terms of making sure your plan is affordable and making sure you’re not paying back in tax credits that you shouldn’t have gotten.”

He also suggested considering how often you expect to visit the doctor’s office over the year and whether you anticipate any major procedures. That will help determine what plan makes most sense to choose. 

How will changes affect plan options? 

Residents in most counties will find fewer plan options as companies retreat from certain markets. Data from Houdek’s office show that 46 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties lost at least one insurance company. Up to four companies will stop serving Winnebago, Racine, Calumet, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Outagamie, Manitowoc and Kenosha counties. 

Two out of three providers currently serving Fond du Lac County have announced exits, leaving residents with just one option.

VanSpankeren worries dwindling options will push some residents out of the marketplace, leaving them unable to access any existing subsidies — potentially falling prey to providers that exploit people in need.

“This would be an opportunity for the good agents and brokers of Wisconsin to rise to meet that need and say, ‘Hey, there are these other things you’re looking for. This particular hospital, this plan actually covers it. Let’s talk about your options,’” VanSpankeren said.

Dean Health Plan by Medica, Fond du Lac’s remaining insurance provider, is “committed to being a stable presence in the community and supporting those who may need to choose a new plan,” spokesperson Ricky Thiesse wrote in an email.

The company encouraged residents to confirm whether their preferred doctors and hospitals are in-network, or if they need to select new providers to receive full benefits.

What other plan changes might we see? 

A majority (61%) of the health plans in Wisconsin will feature higher deductibles next year, increasing out-of-pocket costs before insurance starts paying. The most dramatic deductible increase will be $2,800.

Some providers are also adjusting co-pays and coinsurance rates to reduce company costs. That could require enrollees to pay more per doctor’s visit or spend more on certain drugs.

Should I consider a catastrophic plan? 

Catastrophic plans, a federal marketplace alternative, commonly feature low monthly premiums but very high deductibles before providers pay for care. They are seen as affordable ways to protect only against worst-case scenarios, like getting seriously sick or injured, according to HealthCare.gov. Catastrophic plans are open only to people under 30 or those who qualify for a hardship or affordability exemption. 

But they are also getting more expensive next year, with premiums surging an average of 57.8%. Catastrophic plans make up the top six plans with the biggest premium increases in 2026. 

VanSpankeren suggests comparing a catastrophic plan with Bronze- or Silver-tier plans that might offer more comprehensive coverage.

While individual comparisons will vary, a single 27-year-old enrolling in a catastrophic plan in 2026 would save an average of just $38 monthly compared to a Bronze-tiered plan.

“We don’t choose plans for people, and we don’t steer people towards plans. But I would say it is very rare for anybody that a navigator works with to choose a catastrophic plan,” VanSpankeren said. 

Want to see how we crunched the data? Read our data analysis process here.

The post How to navigate the health care marketplace as premiums rise and options shrink  appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

When Lynnthese Johnson was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth, doctors told her parents she wouldn’t live past the age of 5. Now 35, she’s sharing what it’s like trying to survive. 

Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition in which red blood cells that are normally round become crescent or sickle shaped causing blood blockage, pain and other severe health conditions. 

There are 411 patients in the greater Milwaukee area who have sickle cell disease, according to the Versiti Research Blood Institute.

“If you’re not walking this type of life, you will not understand it,” she said. 

A rough history

Johnson was able to manage the condition as a child, but after giving birth to her two sons, DeJahn Lay, 15, and Dareon Gordon, 9, the disease worsened. 

“My legs hurt all the time, and sometimes it’s so unbearable that I can’t walk,” she said.  

At 8, she had a stroke that caused brain damage. As a result, Johnson has received blood transfusions every four weeks at Froedtert Hospital since then.

“If I don’t have the transfusions, I will get another stroke and die,” she said. 

Blood transfusions deliver healthy blood cells to sickle cell disease patients to prevent other severe conditions like strokes. 

In 2022, Johnson was admitted to the emergency room with pneumonia that resulted in cardiac arrest, forcing doctors to perform a tracheotomy to open up an airway so she could breathe.

Managing daily challenges

To avoid health complications, Johnson eats chicken and fish, which are easier on her digestive system. 

“Sickle cell makes it hard for me to digest foods and makes my stomach so painful that I can’t eat anything sometimes,” she said.  

For physical activity and coping mechanisms, Johnson enjoys taking walks and dancing, though both can be difficult because of body flare-ups.

As a child, Johnson participated on a drill team but found it hard to keep up with the other girls. 

“Dance and music was my thing, but I just couldn’t do it with them like that,” Johnson said. 

Her cousin, Desaree Smith, says that her passion for dancing and music never faded, especially when line dancing and singing karaoke together.

“She dances so good and it’s like no one can stop her once she starts,” Smith said.

Still, Johnson feels more restricted from doing things she likes. 

“The older I’m getting, I’m learning I can’t do certain things anymore because my body is changing,” she said. 

As an alternative, she does crossword puzzles, spends time inside her prayer closet and travels with Smith.

Handling pain on her own

When pain crises occur at home, Johnson visits the ER but often waits hours before being seen. 

She says health professionals don’t take her pain seriously and have misconceptions about the disease.

“They think we’re there just to get high, and I think they don’t learn about sickle cell enough in school,” she said. 

To manage pain, Johnson sticks with Tylenol and avoids stronger medications like OxyContin, tramadol, Dilaudid and morphine because it affects her mood. 

“I took myself off all the strong medications because they don’t tell you that the older you get, you have more side effects, plus more anger, when it does nothing for your pain,” she said.  

When family comes together

Although Johnson’s journey is challenging, her family is always near to support, especially her sons DeJahn and Dareon.

DeJahn says watching his mom go through sickle cell has changed him for the better.

“Her having sickle cell made me grow up faster and more mature. I like helping her around the house and taking care of her when she’s having her moments,” he said. “I just step up as that role model, big brother and son that we need.”

DeJahn said the best part about watching his mother is seeing her confidence grow over the years. 

“Although she has a trachea that’s visible, it makes me happy that she isn’t ashamed of herself anymore,” he said. “When I’m with her, I don’t even realize that it’s there.”

Johnson’s parents and Smith also help by caring for DeJahn and Dareon when she’s in the hospital. Smith commutes from Kenosha to Milwaukee. 

“We were taught as a family that we are everything together and nothing apart. So we come together and make an itinerary for when she has to be away,” Smith said. 

Admiring a mother’s strength

DeJahn wants his mom to know that she’s strong and has a purpose. He hopes that she continues to use her journey to inspire others. 

“Maybe God wants her to use her sickle cell journey in a good way to show others who don’t express their feelings that they don’t have to hide in the shadows and it’s OK to have sickle cell,” he said.

In 2023, Johnson received a phlebotomy technician diploma and became a caregiver so she could open a respite house one day. 

“I want to know all the medical stuff before I open it,” she said. 

DeJahn says he’s proud of how far his mom has come and wants nothing but to see her happy. 

“My mom has been going through things her whole life, and I can’t take nothing back that hurt her, but I can definitely make sure her future is as best as it can be,” he said.

The post How this Milwaukee mother weathers the challenges of sickle cell disease appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

As we continue to report on Wisconsin’s readiness for potential measles outbreaks, we have spoken to several people who have shared their memories of having measles before a vaccines were widely available. We’d love to hear from more of you. 

Before the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Americans faced measles infections each year. The advent of vaccination eliminated the disease in the United States by 2000. But outbreaks have returned to some U.S. communities as trust in vaccines wanes in many communities.

We’re following whether measles will return to Wisconsin, which has some of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates for children.

If you have a story to share, whether it’s your own experience with measles or your observations of what it was like at the time, please take a moment to fill out this short form. Your submissions will shape the direction of our reporting and will not be shared publicly. But we may follow up with those who indicate they are comfortable with us doing so. 

Thanks to those who have already shared their perspectives and questions. 

Here are the stories your feedback has inspired so far: 

• Wisconsin, once a leader in childhood vaccinations, now a leader in vaccine skepticism
• DataWatch: Measles will likely arrive in Wisconsin. Here’s where vaccination rates are trending

The post Did you witness measles outbreaks decades ago? Share your experience  appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

The percentage of Wisconsin schoolchildren not receiving state-mandated vaccinations because of their parents’ personal beliefs is four times higher than it was a generation ago.

That rise in personal conviction waivers has driven a decrease in all immunizations among Wisconsin children ahead of new measles outbreaks hitting the U.S. that are linked to three deaths.

Wisconsin’s measles vaccination rate among kindergartners was the third-lowest in the nation in the 2023-24 school year, behind Idaho and Alaska. (Montana didn’t report data.)

Here’s a look at how we got here.

Vaccine laws in all 50 states

Immunizations are so common that all 50 states have laws requiring them for schoolchildren. Wisconsin was among the first, in 1882.

In the 1950s, the child mortality rate was 4.35%, largely due to childhood diseases. That rate dropped to 0.77% by 2022, according to the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

“Vaccines have brought about one of the largest improvements in public health in human history, making diseases that once caused widespread illness and many deaths, such as measles, mumps, and rubella, rare in the United States,” the agency reported.

For the 2024-25 school year, Wisconsin required seven immunizations (18 doses) for children to enter school. That included shots for measles (MMR), polio and hepatitis B. COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are not included.

Overall, the vast majority of Wisconsin students, 89.2%, met the minimum immunization requirements in the 2023–24 school year, according to the state’s latest annual report. 

That’s essentially unchanged from the previous two school years. 

But it’s down more than three percentage points from 92.3% in 2017-18.

For highly communicable diseases such as measles, a threshold above 95% is needed to protect most people through “herd immunity.”

More parents refusing to get kids vaccinated

Wisconsin had been a national leader in childhood immunizations. 

But increasingly, Wisconsin parents are opting out:

• For all childhood immunizations, vaccination rates statewide were lower in almost every quarter from 2020 through 2024, in comparison with the average rate in the three years before COVID-19.

• Wisconsin was one of the states with the largest drops in the measles vaccination rate for kindergartners between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, and no county had an MMR vaccination rate above 85%, The Economist reported.

• By a different measure, the measles vaccination rate for 2-year-olds in 2024 was as low as 44% in Vernon County and under 70% in 14 other counties.

On exemptions, Wisconsin differs from most states

All states have exemptions that allow parents not to have their children vaccinated. Medical and religious reasons are the most common. 

In Wisconsin, there’s also a third waiver.

Wisconsin regulations say the Wisconsin Department of Health Services shall provide a waiver for health reasons if a physician certifies that an immunization “is or may be harmful to the health of a student”; or, if the parent of a minor student, or an adult student, submits a signed statement that “declares an objection to immunization on religious or personal conviction grounds.”

That philosophical exemption, based on personal beliefs, exists only in 15 states, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.   

“The bottom line is: If you don’t want your child vaccinated, you don’t have to,” said Kia Kjensrud, interim director of Immunize Wisconsin, which supports vaccination organizations.

In 2023-24, 6.1% of Wisconsin students used a waiver. 

That includes 5.2% who had a personal conviction waiver — a rate more than four times higher than the 1.2% in 1997-98.

Waiver use has increased because the number of required vaccines and the legal protections given to vaccine manufacturers have “fueled skepticism about vaccine safety and testing rigor,” Wisconsin United for Freedom said in an email. The De Pere-based group works to protect “rights to medical freedom” and promotes vaccine skepticism. 

Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, one of the lawmakers who introduced legislation in 2023 to repeal the personal conviction waiver, said she believes some parents have genuine convictions against vaccinations. But “many of the folks who are choosing this exemption are doing it because of misinformation” claiming that vaccines are dangerous, she said.

Groups that registered to lobby in favor of Subeck’s bill included associations of physicians, nurses and local health departments. Wisconsin Family Action, which works to advance Judeo-Christian values, opposed it. The bill did not pass.

Kjensrud also blamed Wisconsin’s declining immunization rates on misinformation. But she said that rather than legislation, her group wants to improve “messaging the safety, efficacy and lifesaving importance of vaccines, and increasing vaccination rates however we can.” 

Bipartisan support for personal exemption

Wisconsin’s modern student immunization law was passed in 1975 with only the medical and religious waivers. In 1980, the Legislature added the personal conviction waiver. 

The waiver was included in a broader amendment proposed by 10 Democratic members and 11 Republican members of the Assembly.

The lead sponsor was the late Richard Flintrop, who represented Oshkosh and was known as a child welfare advocate. He also was a former staff member to maverick Democratic U.S. Sen. William Proxmire.

Wisconsin United For Freedom said the recent measles outbreaks “raise valid concerns,” but that “the focus should be on balanced public health strategies that prioritize sanitation, nutrition, and informed choice alongside vaccination, rather than relying solely on mandates.”

Wisconsin Watch wants to hear your perspective on vaccinations. Do you have questions about measles, its vaccine or how to keep your family safe? Or do you have perspectives to share about prevention efforts in your community?

If so, fill out this brief form. Your submissions will shape the direction of our reporting and will not be shared publicly.

The post Wisconsin, once a leader in childhood vaccinations, now a leader in vaccine skepticism appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Several North Side community organizations are protesting a $1.2 billion natural gas power plant proposed by We Energies.

Protesters included several members of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and North Side Rising.

Melody McCurtis, deputy director and lead organizer at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, said the proposed plant threatens residents’ health and could contribute to increased utility costs.

“It’s harmful to the environment and to us,” McCurtis said. “It will impact everybody.”

The new power plant was proposed to replace parts of We Energies’ existing coal plants at the Oak Creek facility, according to Brendan Conway, spokesperson for the utility.

Conway said that of the two coal plants at Oak Creek, one will be shut down and another will be converted to run on natural gas.

The proposed plant will replace the electricity) generation that is being lost from the retired coal plant, Conway said.

Why is this happening now?

Conway said incoming industrial facilities such as a planned Microsoft data facility in Mount Pleasant are a large reason for the new plant.

“It’s truly there to meet customer needs,” Conway said. “We’re seeing the proposed data center in Mount Pleasant, but we’re also seeing other significant growth in this part of the state.”

But residents say that data centers do not justify the potential dangers of air pollution.

“They tell us we need these gas plants for the Microsoft data center, but they never tell us that the data center needs the same amount of power needed to power 300,000 homes,” said Marco Marquez, a state director for Wisconsin Conservation Voices, a group that works on environmental issues.

Marquez said that much of the pollution created by the natural gas plant would not even directly power customers’ homes. “That smells a little funny to me,” Marquez said.

Is renewable energy an option?

According to Conway, We Energies is hoping to power a majority of its electricity through clean air energy sources by 2030.

However, only 9% of power in Wisconsin comes from renewable sources today, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“We know that the sun doesn’t always shine,” Conway said. “The wind doesn’t always blow.”

Even so, Wisconsin trails other states in the Midwest when it comes to renewable energies.

Neighboring Iowa produces 62% of its energy through renewable sources. Renewables also account for 32.5% of energy produced in Minnesota; 16.6% of energy in Illinois; 13% in Michigan; and 14.4% in Indiana, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Residents hope that money used toward a new natural gas plant could fund renewable energy instead, McCurtis said.

“Our children deserve to be left with communities where they can breathe when they can play, and where they can walk without getting asthma,” McCurtis said. “To these folks who are working at We Energies – work with us to push for renewable energy.”

The post Residents protest proposed We Energies natural gas plant appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Hello, Milwaukee!

My name is Julius Shieh, and I am so excited to join you all as the new health reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

My background

I’m a recent college graduate, I enjoy biking in my free time, and I always appreciate a good restaurant recommendation. I was born and raised in New Jersey, and I spent some time living in Connecticut and Texas before moving to Wisconsin.

I love photography and worked primarily as a photojournalist for a few years, and I enjoy reading.

What you need to know most about me, however, has less do with those things. Instead, it has everything to do with what I love the most about NNS – our readers and our community.

This community is one of the biggest reasons I joined NNS. One of my favorite things about life is being able to listen and learn from everyone around me, and being a part of somewhere as vibrant as Milwaukee certainly allows for that. This city is so much more than just the Brewers, icy winters and traffic on I-94 – it’s a world of its own that has been shaped by the voices and stories of people like you.

What makes a healthy society?

Health, in the most basic sense, is a fundamental need that forms the core of our communities. In the best of cases, it is a beautifully simple question that should be answered, in whole, by those with the power to support and uplift. But as history and reality have shown, the truth about health is often far more complex.

As many of us know, the world we live in does not always prioritize health. Disparities in access and sky-high medical costs serve as barriers that too often block us from getting the health care that we need.

Medical debt, a concept that hardly exists outside of the United States, threatens working class, uninsured and underinsured people constantly. The lead in the water we drink and the pollutants in the air we breathe loom in the background as we go about life, posing a gradual and growing danger to our safety.

Who creates health?

While politicians and institutions may seem like the only ones with enough power to sway the health of our communities, many of the basic necessities we celebrate in our lives today were pioneered and implemented by those around us.

In a community-led effort to address some of the most urgent health needs around them, the Black Panthers were among the first to provide free breakfast for children beginning as early as 1969. The pioneering program addressed hunger and malnutrition, already proven by studies at the time to have a significant impact on children’s health and learning. It was such a successful program that J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, recognizing how widespread its impact was, called it “potentially the greatest threat” to government efforts to dissolve the Black Panther Party, leading to a rapid expansion of federal school breakfast efforts.

As the early years of the AIDS crisis left devastation in its wake, political figures, including then-President Ronald Reagan, found it more convenient to ignore and stigmatize the illness than to address it in any meaningful way. LGBTQ activist groups such as ACT UP took it upon themselves to organize for change, putting together massive demonstrations, including one that shut down the FDA for an entire day.

Actions like this one would later be credited toward helping shift public opinion and forcing the hand of government agencies to pay attention to the crisis and fund medical research.

Why this matters

The health of a community, as history can teach us, is a balancing act. The health resources we need, as a population, don’t always match the resources that we are provided. But what we have today cannot be accepted as a foregone conclusion – the communities and people around us are what can drive health and public needs to grow and flourish like they should.

Today, as much as advancements in medicine and technology have grown significantly, the existence of some of our most fundamental health needs can be traced back to our own communities. Food for children in schools and the development of medications for HIV/AIDS did not come about on their own – they are a product of widespread struggle, organized action and hope for a better future.

For myself, this remains important because it is a reminder of the role and the responsibility that journalists hold. As much as we are here to report on the people and institutions in power, it is even more crucial to listen to our own communities and to hear your stories.

I am so excited for this opportunity to play a role in the health of this city, and most of all, I look forward to hearing from you.

Connect with me

I can’t wait to hear from you and learn about Milwaukee. You can reach me by email by clicking here

The post Inside the NNS Newsroom: Meet Julius Shieh, our new health reporter appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

After years of turnover, it appears there is finally stability in the role of the city’s top health official, after Michael Totoraitis was confirmed in early July to a four-year term as Milwaukee health commissioner.

“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done,” Totoraitis said. “Nationally, there’s been a large move out of public health, but we’re pretty fully staffed and it helps us to respond to the needs and challenges of our city.” 

Totoraitis was originally appointed interim health commissioner by Mayor Cavalier Johnson in May 2023, who then reappointed him for a full term. 

His appointment became final after a unanimous vote during the July 2 meeting of the Common Council. He is the city’s sixth health commissioner since 2018. 

Totoraitis “has completed some thoughtful realignment of the department, and he is both engaged with, and focused on, community health in Milwaukee,” said Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the mayor.

Journey to becoming a health commissioner

Born at St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee, the 38-year-old Totoraitis lives in the city with his wife and two children. He earned his Ph.D. in public and community health from the Medical College of Wisconsin and bachelor’s degrees in criminology and law studies from Marquette University. 

Totoraitis worked for several years as a community organizer for Safe & Sound, which unites residents, youths and law enforcement to increase safety in neighborhoods. 

When Katie Sanders became executive director of Safe & Sound in 2014, Totoraitis was supervising the Community Partners Program, which is no longer active but was integrated into the organization’s other programming.

Sanders described him as a good listener and empathetic leader.

“He was creative, thoughtful, has a great sense of integrity and the ability to individualize his approach to his team,” said Sanders, who left Safe & Sound in 2019 to become Milwaukee Public Museum’s first chief planning officer. 

Constance Kostelac is the director of the Division of Data Surveillance and Informatics at the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. 

She first met Totoraitis when she was the research director for the Wisconsin Department of Justice and both were working in support of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission.  She said Totoraitis worked directly with community and justice system partners, focusing on violence prevention strategies. 

“It was apparent he had knowledge on a wide range of public health issues, as well as both academic and practitioner experience related to public health and the intersection with public safety and the criminal justice system,” Kostelac said. 

Totoraitis also worked for the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, which has been renamed the Office of Community Wellness and Safety, and served as director of health data and evaluation for the health department before being appointed interim health commissioner. 

Looking back at a busy year

Totoraitis said one of his main priorities has been lead poisoning prevention. He said lead testing of children 72 months and younger is down significantly since 2004 and dipped again in recent years, partially because of the pandemic and also the national recall in 2021 of a lead testing device. 

“A lot of children were not being tested because clinics were closed or people were not going into the clinic,” Totoraitis said. “Kids not going in and machines really limited the number of kids getting screened.” 

The rate of lead testing increased from 2022 to 2023, progress he hopes continues. One reason for the increase has been a collaboration between the health department, Milwaukee Health Care Partnership and Children’s Wisconsin. 

In terms of COVID-19, which was the primary concern during the tenures of the three previous health commissioners before Totoraitis, it has been recategorized to a virus in the category of diseases that also includes the flu. Although the city no longer runs COVID-19 testing sites, it does provide free immunization services at its walk-in clinics. 

It’s also still tracking COVID-19 through wastewater samples from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, or MMSD. 

“We use that as a measure of how the virus is tracking through the community,”  Totoraitis said. “Right now our data just got updated and it’s very very low, kind of what we saw at this time last year.” 

Looking ahead to first full term

Among the many goals Totoraitis has over the next few years is to continue the multiyear process of obtaining accreditation for the health department from the Public Health Accreditation Board, or PHAB.

The PHAB accreditation process involves an assessment of a health department’s capacity to carry out essential public health services and its foundational capabilities. 

“We’ve never been accredited,” he said. “The PHAB sets standards for all health departments to meet.” 

He is also focused on continuing work funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants to address health disparities and improve public health that expire in 2025 and 2026. 

“I want to ensure we are doing what we need to do to continue this work beyond the life of the grant and also retain our staff,” Totoraitis said.  “For the next four years, one of my priorities is ensuring that our budget is funding the work that we need to do.”

Totoraitis also emphasized the health department’s commitment to continue building a framework to address racism as an issue that impacts health. 

“We’re training all of our staff to ensure that they know what racism as a public health issue means and how to work with our clients,” he said. 

The post Michael Totoraitis reflects on first year as health commissioner, looks forward to full term appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Lindsay Heights resident Maria Beltran relied on the Social Development Commission for years for home improvements, including the installation of new furnaces and weatherization.

The Social Development Commission, or SDC, is a quasi-governmental community action agency responsible for providing a variety of services to low-income residents in Milwaukee County.

Among those services is weatherization and lead abatement. Those and other services have remained in limbo since the SDC’s weatherization program was suspended in March by the Wisconsin Department of Administration for misallocation of funds and the organization as a whole suspended operations in late April. 

Beltran’s house recently was being lead abated through the SDC’s Lead Safe Homes Program. That program was halted by its funder, according to William Sulton, the SDC’s attorney. The program helped homeowners create lead-safe housing units by identifying hazards and eliminating them. 

The lead abatement work at Beltran’s home was supposed to be completed by one of SDC’s subcontractors, Weatherization Services LLC. However, after about a year and a half, the work is still not completed. 

What hapens now that SDC is closed?

Although the company did conduct some work on the home, there are a number of items still on a punch list, which meant they were incomplete when SDC’s Lead Safe Homes Program was shut down, according to an email exchange between Beltran, members of SDC and Weatherization Services LLC.

“A lot of people were waiting to get their homes done, and now there is no one to monitor getting these jobs complete,” said Beltran, whose two children have tested positive for lead in their blood.

According to Beltran, no one has contacted her regarding her case. 

Sulton said the SDC no longer oversees those projects.

Beltran fears that the lead abatement process, which has dragged on since she first applied to the program in 2019, is going to be a lot harder to access.

Vendors also unpaid

In addition to complaints from residents who are waiting for their weatherization and lead abatement projects to be completed, some vendors also said that they have not been paid by SDC. 

Jon Yakish, owner of Micro Analytical, Inc., said his company hasn’t been paid for asbestos testing work completed for the SDC in recent months. 

“We were getting paid monthly,” said Yakish, adding that his company has worked with SDC since about 2019. “There’s still some outstanding invoices.” 

Yakish said he has received some communications, one from SDC, and another that he believes was from those working on the state audit, but no concrete answers. 

“There’s obviously a strong desire to get us paid, if there’s money left,” he said. “We’ll just sit tight and see what they say.”

Sulton said the SDC board has made a claim against its own insurance company to try to cover some of the vendor payments and is also in communications with the state to find solutions.

“The bottom line is funds were misallocated from the weatherization program that should have been used to pay vendors but are no longer available,” he said.

Sulton said the SDC recognizes the significant problem the nonpayment has caused vendors, particularly small business owners.

“We are trying to work out a solution. They certainly should expect payment and the board is working on that,” he said. 

Issues arise before SDC’s closing

Ofelia Mondragon, the former Healthy Home lead abatement manager for SDC, noted that there were concerns over payments from SDC in the months before the shutdown. 

“I’ve worked for SDC for almost 14 years, and I almost never saw overdue checks or balances to any contractor until the last months of working there,” Mondragon said. “People were calling and asking where money was for work they did and I didn’t have an answer,” she said. 

Some contractors said they invested tens of thousands of dollars into SDC work and are worried they may never see that money, according to Mondragon. 

“It’s heartbreaking. I was the one recruiting the contractors. I told them they were going to get paid,” Mondragon said.

“Now we know the problem was bigger than we thought,” she said. 

‘I hope they find the money’

Lead abatement cases are now being handled by the Milwaukee Health Department.

Caroline Reinwald, public information officer for the  Health Department, said in an email to NNS: “MHD is reaching out on individual cases.”

Tatyana Warrick, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Administration, which is overseeing the audit of SDC, said any unfinished weatherization work was transferred to two other companies for completion: La Casa De Esperanza and Partners for Community Development. 

Despite her difficulties, Beltran stressed the importance of the SDC in Milwaukee. “I hope they find the money. I hope they do come back,” she said. 

What do you want to know?

Do you have questions you want answered about the SDC? Thoughts you want to share? We are here for you. Let us know what’s on your mind by emailing us or commenting. You can also text us through News414, and our reporters will work hard to get the answers you deserve.

The post ‘It’s heartbreaking’: Residents, vendors left in limbo after SDC’s closing appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

June is Pride Month, a time to honor the history, culture and ongoing struggles of the LGBTQ+ community.  In celebration, we’ve compiled a list of organizations that serve LGBTQ+ people in Milwaukee. 

Chris Allen, the president and CEO of Diverse & Resilient, said his hope for this Pride Month and throughout the year, is to address concerns about the safety of LGBTQ+ people in and around the community. 

“We’ve seen a shifting political landscape when it comes to how people in the community are being treated,” Allen said. 

Research has shown there has been a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the U.S. within the last several years.

Diverse & Resilient will have a booth at PrideFest Milwaukee in the Health & Wellness Area and at Milwaukee’s Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, celebration. 

“We are really looking forward to celebrating a community of love and acceptance,” Allen said. 

Here’s a roundup of organizations in Milwaukee that serve the LGBTQ+ community.

If you know of a resource that we missed, please respond in the comments below or email us.

Health and wellness

BESTD: 1240 E. Brady St.

The Brady East STD Clinic, or BESTD, offers sexual health services in a supportive and affirming setting, free of charge. The clinic provides HIV testing and counseling and sexually transmitted infections, or STI, testing. More information here.

Vivent Health: 1311 N. 6th St.

Vivent Health is a clinic focused on HIV treatment and prevention. Additionally, it provides a range of social and health services, including gender-affirming care. More information here.

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers: 1032 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive

Sixteenth Street offers a variety of comprehensive treatment and prevention services, from HIV screening and care to behavioral health to needle exchange in a culturally sensitive environment. More information here. 

Holton Street Clinic: 3251 N. Holton St.

The Holton Street Clinic’s mission is to deliver specialized health care to individuals from all backgrounds who may have sexually transmitted infections. The clinic provides consultation, testing, treatment and follow-up. More information here.

Keenan Sexual Health Center: 3200 N. 36th St. 

Keenan Sexual Health Center offers sexually transmitted infection and HIV-related services to uninsured and underinsured residents in Milwaukee and neighboring communities. Services are available at no cost to individuals ages 12 and above. More information here.

Outreach Community Health Centers: 220 W. Capitol Drive

Outreach Community Health Centers offers LGBTQ+-tailored health services to vulnerable, uninsured populations and low-income residents in the city. More information here. 

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin: Multiple locations

Planned Parenthood has STI screening and treatments, gender affirming care and various other health services available to all people regardless of gender. More information here.

Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Inclusion Health Clinics: 9200 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Inclusion Health Clinics takes a comprehensive approach to address the health care needs of the LGBTQ community. Care includes primary and preventative care, gender-affirming hormone therapy, OB/GYN care, HIV treatment and prevention and more. More information here.

Family and social services

While many of the clinics mentioned above also have social services, these Milwaukee organizations focus on providing community support.

Diverse & Resilient: 2439 N. Holton St.

Diverse & Resilient engages in advocacy efforts and offers direct-service initiatives to tackle the health disparities faced by LGBTQ individuals in Wisconsin. Its focus areas include anti-violence, leadership development, sexual health and substance use education. The organization also offers free STI testing and treatment. More information here.

MKE LGBT Community Center: 315 W. Court St.

The MKE LGBT Community Center provides educational, health promotion and community-building services tailored to the needs of LGBT youths, adults and their allies in the Greater Milwaukee area. More information here.

Courage MKE: 1322 S. 10th St.

Courage MKE is an LGBTQ+ advocacy group that offers housing, scholarships, support and resources to Wisconsin’s youths. More information here.

Pathfinders: 4200 N. Holton St., Suite 400

Pathfinders serves youths in crisis. It provides a range of inclusive and welcoming services, including counseling, housing and anti-sexual violence services, which are aimed at ensuring the immediate safety of youth. More information here.

Hmong American Women’s Association: 3030 W. Highland Blvd.

The Hmong American Women’s Association, or HAWA, supports Hmong women, youths and LGBTQ individuals in Milwaukee and also offers LGBTQ+ advocacy services. HAWA hosts Queer Roots Space, a support group for Hmong LGBTQ adults, along with other Pride events. More information here.

FORGE

FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization that provides direct services to transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary survivors of sexual assault. More information here.

Culture, community and staying connected

SHEBA: Meets biweekly

SHEBA, also known as Sisters Helping Each Other Battle Adversity, comprises a collective of Black Trans women who meet biweekly to provide support and empowerment for transgender women. SHEBA offers various forms of support, including leadership development, HIV prevention, alternative healing methods and overall community building. More information here. 

Sun-Seeker MKE Collective: Various events and meeting times

The Sun-Seeker MKE Collective, an abolitionist group led by Black and trans individuals, prioritizes holistic safety through the cultivation of relationships and advocacy work. More information here.

Project Q: Meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Project Q is a program of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center that offers a supportive environment for youths (13+) through drop-ins, development activities and life-skill coaching. Meetings are held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 315 W. Court St. More information here. 

PFLAG Milwaukee: Various meeting times

PFLAG, or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 1110 N. Market St., champions the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, along with their families and friends, through support, education and advocacy. More information here.

lgbt milWALKee

Historian Brice Smith created lgbt milWALKee, a walking tour app and website that features oral history videos on Milwaukee LGBTQ+ history. Smith and Janice Toy, whose performance name is Janice Colby, are working with Diverse & Resilient on House of History, an oral history archive of Milwaukee’s Black LGBTQ community that’s expected to launch in June. More information here. 

Business and philanthropy

Cream City Foundation

The Cream City Foundation supports LGBTQ+ organizations in Southeastern Wisconsin and aims to respond to the human needs of LGBTQ+ people through its philanthropy, convening events and scholarship program. More information here. 

Pride United

Pride United, a donor network of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, addresses key issues that disproportionately affect the LGBTQ+ community by providing support from a council of LGBTQ+ leaders, allies and advocates. More information here. 

Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce: 5027 W. North Ave.

The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce advocates for LGBT-owned and allied businesses in Wisconsin and promotes their economic growth. More information here. 

Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

The post It’s Pride Month: Here’s how to find LGBTQ+ resources in Milwaukee  appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

For Kim Stephans, participating in Milwaukee County’s Dine Out program is more than just getting a free meal – it’s a lifeline to social connection and a sense of belonging.

“Places like this will bring you back to life,” said Stephans.

The program has become a vital part of Stephans’ life, along with the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, which serves as a vital connection to the community for him and other seniors in Milwaukee.

“This gives us something to do and gives us needed companionship,” he said. 

These kinds of services and programs are essential as more seniors in Milwaukee County live alone.

Over half (51%) of seniors in Milwaukee County live alone, according to data gathered by the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging.

The National Institute on Aging defines a senior or older adult as anyone 65 or older. However, definitions of who is considered an older adult in the United States vary, depending on the circumstances.

More seniors in Milwaukee County live alone than in any other county in Wisconsin, according to Health Compass Milwaukee, which provides comprehensive, health-related data about Milwaukee County residents and communities.

That same study also found that seniors in Milwaukee County feel less alone by participating in community events and programs.

“It can be hard for seniors navigating life after losing a spouse or living alone,” said Gaylyn Reske, senior dining program coordinator for the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services’ Department on Aging.

Here’s a list of free or low-cost services and programs that are available to older adults in the Milwaukee area. Transportation to the workshops and programs listed below is available through the Milwaukee County Older Adults Transportation Service, or OATS. More information here.

Health and Wellness

Boost Your Brain & Memory: Thursdays

Sharpen your mind and memory with holistic activities focused on physical fitness, emotional well-being, mental stimulation and more. Sessions are from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays until April 18 and on May 2 at Franklin City Hall, 9229 W. Loomis Road, Franklin. To register, call 414-425-9101. More information here.

Healthy Living with Chronic Pain: Wednesdays 

This workshop aims to empower adults dealing with persistent pain. Sessions will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays from April 24 through May 29 at the West Allis West Milwaukee Recreation Center, 2450 S. 68th St., West Allis. To register, call 414-302-8612. More information here. 

Living Well With Chronic Conditions: Tuesdays

Workshop sessions will be held every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. from June 11 through July 16 at the West Allis Senior Center, 7001 W. National Ave., West Allis. To register, call 414-302-8700. More information here.

Savvy Caregiver: Tuesdays

Savvy Caregiver is a workshop for family caregivers of a person with dementia. Sessions will be held virtually from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays from June 4 through July 9. Register by May 21 by emailing Candice.Legros@milwaukeecountywi.gov or by calling 414-289-5792. More information here.

Stepping On: various date and times

This seven-week program is designed for adults ages 60 and older who are prone to falling or have balance concerns.  Find various times and locations here.

Walk With Ease: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

Walk with Ease meets from 10 a.m to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 20 at the Wilson Park Senior Center, 2601 W. Howard Ave. To register, call 414-282-5566. More information here

Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging

Find more classes and programs, including senior center locations, at the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging’s website here.

Milwaukee Recreation’s Organization for Active Seniors in Society, or OASIS

From computer access to yoga to free meals, OASIS, located at 2414 W. Mitchell St., provides diverse programs and activities tailored to adults ages 50 and over. More information here.

Free Yoga for Older Adults

Milwaukee Turners hosts free yoga for seniors from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursdays at Turner Hall, 1034 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave.  Registration is not required and donations are encouraged. For more information, check out Milwaukee Turners Facebook page here. 

Check out the Milwaukee County DHHS Aging & Disabilities Services Facebook page to stay up to date on events and programs for seniors in the Milwaukee area.

Food and fellowship

Milwaukee County Senior Dining Program

Milwaukee County partners with four minority-owned restaurants for its Dine Out program.  All Dine Out meals are free with a $3 suggested donation. No one, regardless of income, is turned away.

Participating restaurants are:

Rise & Grind Cafe, 2737 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, serves breakfast to seniors on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Orenda Cafe, 3514 W. National Ave., serves breakfast to seniors on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Antigua Latin Inspired Kitchen, 6207 W. National Ave., serves senior lunch on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m.

Daddy’s Soul Food and Grille, 754 N. 27th St., serves senior meals on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check out more senior dining programming at various senior centers here.

The post Here are programs that connect isolated Milwaukee seniors appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

In a neighborhood struggling with access to healthy food, Maurice “Moe” Wince and his Sherman Park Grocery Store have been called a lifesaver.

Wince and his wife, Yashica Spears, the store’s co-owner, saw this as they observed people stopping at surrounding gas stations to purchase unhealthy snacks like chips and Twinkies.

“I’ve lived my whole life in this city. Now we have a unique opportunity to change the narrative of the environment here by providing food access and education,” he said.

Nestled in the heart of Sherman Park at 4315 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Sherman Park Grocery Store has become a popular destination for those in and around the neighborhood since opening its doors last year.

Wince said his business is one of the state’s only full service African American-owned grocery stores, which he believes reflects the possibility to transform Milwaukee.

Reinvesting in Sherman Park

Embassy Center MKE, formerly Parklawn Assembly of God Church, Wince and other community members made it a priority to meet with residents and local and state officials to address ways to improve amenities in the Sherman Park neighborhood. The scarcity of healthy food options in the area was a major concern.

The conversations came about after the neighborhood’s 2016 civil unrest following the shooting death of Sylville Smith by a Milwaukee Police officer. 

From these conversations, the idea for a grocery store was born.

Sherman Park Grocery Store became a brick and mortar investment in the neighborhood in July 2022, led by Wince, Embassy Center MKE and other community leaders.

The store has eight employees and also works with organizations such as Employ Milwaukee to hire employees. Employ Milwaukee is a federally funded, local workforce development board that serves Milwaukee County.

Milwaukee’s food deserts

Wince became familiar with the needs surrounding food access in the city through Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs. He also is a graduate of Feeding America’s Food Leaders Lab.

Wince said he also was familiar with the needs of Sherman Park, where he has spent much of his life. 

His efforts are much needed.

According to a Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Report, in 2019, Milwaukee had 13 food deserts, which are mostly on the Northwest Side.

A food desert is an area where residents struggle to access affordable and nutritious food. And if one lives further than a half-mile from a grocery store, they are in a food desert, based on data from the USDA.

Addressing challenges to food access

The Sherman Park Grocery Store saw almost 4,000 of its neighbors within its first 30 days of opening, Wince said.

Despite the grocery store’s success in reaching underserved populations in Milwaukee, like many small grocers, it now faces the challenge of dwindling FoodShare programs post pandemic.

FoodShare is Wisconsin’s name for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP and historically referred to as “food stamps.”

Wince said many customers are unable to afford to buy the same food in the grocery store as they did before, which makes it more difficult for the store to remain profitable.

“The food assistance programs are shrinking, but the need hasn’t gone anywhere,” Wince said.

To address the ongoing needs of food access, Sherman Park Grocery Store operates Feed My Sheep Global Services, a nonprofit offering assistance through gift card purchases for essential groceries such as eggs, bread, milk and produce.

The gift cards are used when people find themselves short of money at the cash register.

Wince is also committed to supporting aspiring, young entrepreneurs in the community.  

One example is UpStart Kitchen, 4325 W. Fond du Lac Ave., a culinary incubator located next door to Sherman Park Grocery.

Founded in 2020, the Kitchen serves as a launchpad for culinary artists such as Monique Evans, the owner of Mo’s Sweetside LLC, and Nesha Beamon, the owner of Pound for Pound Cakes by Nesha LLC, along with 17 other culinary artists.

Many of the artists sell their goods at the grocery store.

“This kitchen and grocery store are a lifesaver for me,” said Beamon. 

For Beamon and Evans, the collaboration between UpStart Kitchen and Sherman Park Grocery symbolizes community resilience and togetherness.

“The events and community that Sherman Park Grocery has brought to the neighborhood has united residents,” Evans said.

Added Beamon, “I’ve seen neighbors I didn’t know were my neighbors coming together at this grocery store.”

Catch up with the people and organizations who make Milwaukee great by reading “NNS Spotlight.”

The post NNS Spotlight: How Milwaukee’s newest Black-owned grocery store serves the residents of Sherman Park appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee County has the highest rates of diabetes in the state, according to Health Compass Milwaukee, which provides health-related data about Milwaukee County residents and communities.          

The percentage of adults in Milwaukee County diagnosed with diabetes is 9.7%, which is higher than the state average of 7.8%, according to Health Compass Milwaukee,  

Dr. Leonard E. Egede, inaugural Milwaukee community chair in health equity research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and his team conducted a number of studies on what causes greater rates of diabetes in communities around Milwaukee.

“What is happening is that diabetes is more prevalent in minority populations  — African Americans, Hispanic and Native Americans,” Egede said.

He also said diabetes is more widespread among low-income and food-insecure areas and it’s affecting people at younger ages.

“Milwaukee is a very segregated city… because of that segregation, by race, ethnicity and by income, you actually have pockets where you have a very high prevalence of this disease,” Egede said.

So how can Milwaukee take on a disease like diabetes?

“Getting the correct food and at an affordable price is really the challenge,” said Sherrie Tussler, CEO of the Hunger Task Force. “We need to improve access to healthy food.”

Resources you should know about

If you’re at risk for diabetes, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee offers a Diabetes Prevention Program where individuals can get help from lifestyle coaches and nutritionists. For more information, check out the YMCA’s program.

The Muslim Community and Health Center of Wisconsin also has a Diabetes Prevention Program, which you can check out here. The Health Center screens for diabetes and offers diabetes support.

City on a Hill offers medical support from diabetes screenings to diet and nutrition support. Learn more here.

The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center screens for and helps in the treatment of diabetes. The center also has a Diabetes Prevention Program. Learn more here.

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers offers diabetes screenings and treatment. Learn more here.

Check out Progressive Community Health Centers’ Diabetes Center of Excellence for individualized diabetes treatment.

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin offers diabetes monitoring and treatment.

Check out the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ information on taking control of and even reversing your pre-diabetic condition.

Diet and exercise are two of the most important factors when it comes to prevention and treatment of diabetes.

The Hunger Task Force partnered with Piggly Wiggly to launch the Mobile Market in 2015. The market stocks fresh produce, dairy and meat and travels around Milwaukee, Monday through Friday.  Check out the Mobile Market’s schedule of stops

Check out the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate graphic to get a simple and helpful picture of what your meals should look like.

For ideas and recipes for healthy food, check out the cookbook, “Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families.”

Did we miss any resources? Please put in comments or send us an email. Put “diabetes resources” in the subject line.

The post Milwaukee County leads the state in rates of diabetes. Here’s how to lower your risk. appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

You made it through the holidays, but now you’re in the thick of winter when those cold, dreary days may seem to last forever.

According to the American Psychological Association, or APA, it’s common for many people to feel greater amounts of fatigue and depression this time of year.

The APA attributes these feelings to a decrease in daylight hours and colder weather. 

On top of feelings of depression, many people may be dealing with financial stress from the holidays along with higher winter energy bills.

From practicing yoga to going outdoors, here’s how you can manage your mental health this winter season.

Meditation, mindfulness and yoga

Psychologists have found that meditation, mindfulness and yoga can be helpful ways to take a step back and breathe when you’re feeling out of sorts.

Yoga can also help you stay active and healthy in the cold months.

Milwaukee has lots to offer when it comes to these holistic approaches for little to no money:

Milwaukee Community Yoga has free yoga every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Society of Friends, 3224 N. Gordon Place. The group focuses on beginning and intermediate poses and is good for all levels. Bring your own mat! More information here.

Riverwest Yogashala, located at 731 E. Locust St., has a variety of classes for all skill levels and age ranges. Suggested donations for classes range from $8 to $25, but pay what you can is also encouraged. More information here.

Core El Centro offers services from yoga to holistic approach healing. The organization is located at 130 W. Bruce St., Third Floor.  This business serves Spanish speakers. More information here.

Embody Yoga, located at 4650 N. Port Washington Road, Suite 160, offers classes for all levels. More information here.

MKE Social Yoga has yoga classes for all levels. Classes take place all over Milwaukee, from the historic Miller brewing caves to the beach. More information here.

Milwaukee- Free Online Guided Meditation takes place every Saturday and various other days online at 8:45 p.m. and is always free. More information here.

Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee offers multiple free meditation and mindfulness classes daily. More information here.

Meditate Milwaukee offers free meditation at Sojourner Family Peace Center, 619 W. Walnut St., every first Sunday at 2:30 p.m. More information here.

Shambhala Milwaukee, located at 2344 N. Oakland Ave., offers many meditation classes both in person and online for free. Check out their Heart of Recovery Group tailored for people in 12 Step programs. More information here.

Milwaukee Recreation: Winter Community Wellness offers a variety of programs that can help you stay active and healthy this winter. More information here.

Mental health resources

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services offers resources for all ages, including a 24-hour crisis line at (414) 257-7222. More information here.

For a comprehensive list of available mental health resources and services, including LGBTQ+ services, check out this list compiled by the City of Milwaukee here.

Healthy MKE recently launched a mental health and substance use care resource guide, which is available in five languages. Here you can easily find providers, tools and directories for mental health and substance use care  throughout Milwaukee County. More information here.

Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center offers resources and tools with a focus on Native and traditional methods of healing as well as behavioral health. More information here.

Muslim Community & Health Center has various behavioral health services. More information here.

Pathfinders is an organization that supports homeless and runaway children. It also offers mental health services alongside housing assistance. More information here.

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers has long served Milwaukee’s South Side for most health needs, and provides comprehensive mental health care. More information here.

Vivent Health offers resources such as behavioral health services, a food pantry, needle exchange and help with housing needs. More information here.

Call IMPACT 211 at 2-1-1 for assistance with food, housing or mental health.

You can also visit in-reach sites Monday, Wednesday and Friday to speak to a housing/shelter navigator at the following locations:

Repairers of the Breach

This refuge and resource center is located at 1335 W. Vliet St. and has in-reach hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. More information here.

​St. Ben’s

This IMPACT 211 center is located at 930 W. State St., and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. More information here.

If you or a loved one are in crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

The post Need help surviving the winter blues? Here are resources to improve your mental health appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

With the season for family gatherings and celebrations fast approaching, doctors advise people to get vaccinated to stay safe and healthy over the holidays and throughout the winter season. 

Although the national COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May, experts warn that the virus is all but over.

“It’s easy to think COVID’s not around or ignore it,” said Ajay Sethi, professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services or DHS, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations has increased to over 400 hospitalizations this month. This is in comparison to the state’s all-time low of the pandemic, which occurred in July of this year with fewer than 60 people hospitalized.

Emphasis on vaccination

Sethi emphasized the importance of everyone, especially immunocompromised people, such as the elderly and disabled, getting vaccinated this winter season, or “respiratory virus season,” as he calls it.

Since people will be spending more time indoors, often with others, illnesses like COVID are much more likely to spread.

Vaccinations protect against life-threatening illnesses and even death, said Dr. Heather Paradis, Milwaukee Health Department medical director.  “And (they) help against the spreading of the virus too,” she said.

Despite this, just 10.8% of Milwaukee County residents have received at least one dose of vaccines, which is slightly lower than the rate of vaccinations for the rest of the state, according to DHS.

COVID strains are still circulating and mutating, Paradis said. But most vaccines, even if they aren’t the newest ones on the market, can help protect against the most recent strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has reported, however, that getting the most updated vaccines will work the best against current strains of the virus. 

Choices

People opting to get the vaccinations can now choose between getting the mRNA vaccine and the Novavax vaccine, which are similar to vaccines that were introduced early on in the pandemic.

Both vaccines work about the same and last an equal amount of time, Sethi said.  (Learn more about the differences here.)

Doctors recommend people get vaccinated or boosted every six months. Sethi said people can wait from two to six months after a COVID infection to get boosted.

Paradis encourages people to get boosted when they’re COVID free and feeling well enough to do so. It’s also safe to get flu shots and COVID vaccines at the same time, she said. And many clinics offer both.

For those holding off on getting the COVID vaccine because of the fear of potential side effects, Sethi has the following message:

“The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the disease itself.”

Where to get vaccinated or boosted

Milwaukee Health Department walk-in immunization clinics:

Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St.

Monday: 3 to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 1 to 4 p.m.

Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road

Wednesday: 3 to 6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check out Healthy MKE’s updated map and list here. This site will also let you know about upcoming vaccination events where rides can be provided.

The post UPDATED: How to stay healthy for the holidays: Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

These are anxious times for members of Milwaukee’s trans community. 

They say they are being targeted by anti-trans legislation and are concerned about an uptick in violence directed at them. As a result, advocates worry about what they see as a growing threat to transgender health.   

“When certain members of the community are legislated against, it has the very real potential to create poor health outcomes for these communities,” said Brandon Hill, CEO of Vivent Health.

Vivent Health is a clinic that specializes in the treatment and prevention of HIV. The clinic also offers other services, including gender-affirming care (the health care that many nonbinary and transgender persons require to change their gender) to patients. 

An issue of safety

Some advocates believe that legislation targeting transgender people places them at greater risk of violence.  

“When we talk about trans life, we need to talk about safety,” said Elle Halo, a board member of Diverse & Resilient,  an organization that aims to create health and social equity for people of LGBTQ+ identities in Wisconsin. 

Halo also is a member of Sisters Helping Each Other Battle Adversity, or SHEBA, a group of Black transgender women who meet for leadership training, health activities and social support.  

Halo and other transgender advocates are concerned about the recent uptick in trans murders in the city. 

Beginning in 2022, Milwaukee saw a disturbing trend  with the killing of four trans women, all of them Black. 

Trans women of color,  particularly those who are Black, are disproportionately affected by fatal violence, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a national organization that fights for fair treatment and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people.

Chyna Long was the fourth Black trans woman to be killed in Milwaukee since June 2022. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds on the city’s Northwest Side, where she died on Oct. 8. 

Long, 30, who grew up in Milwaukee and attended Washington High School, loved to dance and was a choreographer. 

Long’s death comes after the homicides of Brazil Johnson, 28;  Regina “Mya” Allen, 35; and Cashay Henderson, 31. All three were Black transgender women who were shot and killed within a nine-month period from 2022 to 2023. 

Before 2022, Milwaukee had not seen a murder of a Black trans woman in 12 years, according to SHEBA. But in 2010, 26-year-old Chanel Larkin, a SHEBA member, was shot and killed along North 23^rd Street.   

No suspect has been charged in Johnson’s death. But charges have been filed in the cases of Long, Allen, Henderson and Larkin. 

The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed that none of the killings, including Long’s death, were investigated as hate crimes.  

When asked whether being a trans woman played a role in their deaths, the Milwaukee Police Department responded in an email that it did not believe they were targeted.

Unprecedented legislative attacks  

Approximately 22 states have recently passed laws limiting or prohibiting gender-affirming medical care for transgender people up to 26 years of age. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 507 bills targeting LGBTQ+ and trans specific rights have been proposed.

In Wisconsin, Republicans have also pushed similar bills despite Gov. Tony Evers’ vow to veto them.  

“Though I don’t like to speculate on causation, I think we can see the rise in violence against transgender and gender-diverse people is definitely culminating with the rise of anti-transgender rights legislation,” Hill said.

In September, the Board of Supervisors voted to make Milwaukee County a sanctuary county for transgender and nonbinary people.

But advocates say more needs to be done.

“There’s a political culture war happening, but that isn’t necessarily a priority for our girls when they’re worried about access to food and housing security, safety in the streets and access to a healthier life,” Halo said.  

This means leaders and residents must confront  gun violence, racism, misogyny and poverty, not only for trans women, but for all Milwaukeeans, Halo said.  

“If you address these issues like homelessness and gun violence for trans people, you’ll end up addressing these issues for every other member of the community, too,” she said. 

Transgender activist Yante Turner said our political landscape has alienated a group of people that “you can politically, socially and spiritually charge.”

Turner is an organizer for Sun-Seeker MKE Collective, a Black trans-led abolitionist collective that uses community engagement to educate Milwaukeeans.  

Turner said it’s important for transgender peopleto be visible in the community. His collective goes into neighborhoods where anti-trans violence has occurred and passes out farm fresh food. This, he said, humanizes trans people. 

“Our most under-resourced ZIP codes in the city are also where many of these violent crimes against trans people happen,” Turner said.  

For more information

To learn about SHEBA, visit its site or Facebook page.  

To learn more about Sun-Seeker MKE Collective, visit its Facebook page or call (414) 909-1904.  

To make an appointment at Vivent Health, check out its website or call (1-800) 359-9272.  

Diverse & Resilient offers trauma-informed support for the LGBTQ+ community statewide. To talk to an advocate, call or text 414-856-LGBT (5428) or visit its office, 2439 N Holton St. in Milwaukee. 

Health clinics and social services with LGBTQ+ tailored options

BESTD located at 1240 E Brady St. Phone number: (414) 272-2144 

Holton Street Clinic located at 3251 N Holton St. Phone number: (414) 264-8800 

Milwaukee Keenan Health Center located at 3200 N 36th St. Phone number: (414) 286-8840 

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers located at 1032 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive. Phone number: (414) 897-5645 

Outreach Community Health Centers located at 210 West Capitol Drive. Phone number: (414) 727-6320 

Planned Parenthood- Wisconsin Avenue Health Center at 2207 W. Wisconsin Ave. Phone number: (844) 493-1052 

Planned Parenthood- Mitchell Street Health Center at 1710 S. 7th St., Suite 300. Phone number: (844) 493-1052 

Planned Parenthood- Northwest Health Center at 5380 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Phone number: (844) 493-1052 

Planned Parenthood- Capitol Drive Health Center at 801 E. Capitol Drive. Phone number: (844) 493-1052 

MKE LGBT Community Center located at 315 W. Court St. Phone number: (414) 271-2656 

Courage MKE located at 1544 S. 6^th St. Phone number: (414) 240-2882  

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If you’re looking for health insurance, now is the time to enroll.

Open enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, and Medicaid renewal are underway.

Advocates warn that thousands of Wisconsinites may be at risk of losing their health insurance for 2024 if they don’t apply on time.

Open enrollment for the 2023–’24 ACA Marketplace Health Insurance is available on HealthCare.gov. To ensure coverage, consumers should  enroll in the federal health insurance marketplace by Jan. 16. You can find plans as low as $10 a month.

‘It can feel uncomfortable’

Kennita Hickman is an entrepreneur and insured through the Affordable Care Act.

Hickman said she was fortunate to have a friend who is a health care navigator to help her find an option that worked best for her. She encourages others to do the same.

Health care navigators are people whocan help you review insurance options and complete applications, often for free.

“I know it can feel uncomfortable to share your information with people, but I wouldn’t try to navigate all of this on my own,” Hickman said.

Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus

The open enrollment period runs alongside the phased Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus renewal and redetermination process taking place now through May.

Wisconsinites are urged to renew their BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid via access.wi.gov or call 800-362-3002 Monday through Friday from  8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where to find health care navigators

Visit Covering Wisconsin or call (608) 261-1455 or (877) 942-6837. 

Visit Progressive Community Health Centers or call (414) 935-8000. Walk-ins are also encouraged at their Milwaukee locations at 3522 W Lisbon Ave. and 1452 N 7th St., Second Floor.

For more information

Do you have more questions? Visit Milwaukee Healthcare Partnership’s Milwaukee Enrollment Network page.

The post It’s open enrollment time: Here’s what you need to know to get or keep health insurance appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, approved COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years old.

Now the Milwaukee Health Department and the 16^th Street Community Health Centers are actively inviting families to bring in their children in that age group for the vaccine – the city Health Department on a walk-in basis and Sixteenth Street primarily by appointment.

The same questions that confronted the age groups for whom the vaccines were already available are being raised. These go beyond where your child can get the vaccine to should your child be vaccinated.

And the short answer is: Yes.

Just like the vaccines made available for the older groups, they should do so because these newer vaccines are safe, effective and keep the vaccinated COVID-free, medical experts say.

But there’s another reason: For the moment, these vaccines are free.

“That’s not likely to last indefinitely,” said Dr. Heather Paradis, a pediatrician and the Health Department’s chief medical officer and deputy commissioner of medical services for the city.

Why are the vaccines free at the moment? The CDC explains, “Vaccines were paid for with taxpayer dollars and will be given free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of insurance or immigration status.”

That means that there is a window of opportunity, said Paradis, particularly “for people who are uninsured or underinsured (and) who don’t want to receive a medical bill.”

‘It’s the best for them’

But that’s just the financial reason. The other compelling reasons to get the vaccine involve the health and safety of individuals and, consequently, the entire community.

This is a point stressed by both Paradis and Dr. Marcos De La Cruz, director of pediatrics at Sixteenth Street.

“It’s the same idea we’ve had in the past. … The sooner we can provide protection, it’s the best for them,” said De La Cruz.

It’s not just about self-protection for the child. It’s about prevention generally.

“Children don’t always display the symptoms, but they can spread the disease,” De La Cruz said.

Paradis echoes this.

“We know vaccinating this age group will help to decrease transmission and the severity of the illness,” she said.

That means, she added, fewer days of missed day care for the children, fewer school days lost for siblings they’ve exposed and fewer lost workdays for parents with sick children. In particular, vaccinating this younger age group represents protection for family members who are more susceptible to severe symptoms, especially grandparents.

The notion that young children need not be vaccinated because they are not susceptible is simply not true.

Both Paradis and De La Cruz say they’ve come across COVID diagnosis for children in the 6 months to 5-year age group.

And there’s this: Just as with older children and adults, “long COVID” represents a still not fully understood threat.

Long COVID, also known as post-COVID conditions, refers to the long-term effects that some infected with COVID can experience.

Paradis said children can also have longer-term effects such as fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The loss of taste or smell may last longer.

For some families, the CDC approval of COVID vaccines for this last age group was a long time coming. That was, no doubt, frustrating, but there is a silver lining.

“We’ve gotten so much experience (with vaccines) over almost two years (of the pandemic),” said De La Cruz.

He explained that vaccines are usually rolled out and the medical community learns about their efficacy over six to 12 months. But we’ve had almost two years to see the efficacy of vaccines, and this longer rollout allowed more study on this newest vaccine in particular for the children in this age group.

As with many ailments, treatment for severe COVID symptoms will differ from age group to age group. This extra time allowed the vaccine manufacturers to study the effects more fully for this youngest age group to minimize side effects or longer-term symptoms and to avoid hospitalizations.

“We know children are not just little adults,” Paradis said. “Many of these medicines and treatments are for older children and adults.”

The CDC approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 vaccine for children. The Moderna vaccine will require two doses, the Pfizer is a three-dose series. No booster for this age group has yet been approved.

For more information

For information on where to get the free vaccine for children on a walk-in basis, go to the Milwaukee Health Department website.

Go to the 16^th Street Community Health Centers’ website for information on vaccines– on an appointment basis.

To find other vaccine sites, go to healthymke.org.

If someone should try to charge you for a COVID vaccine, contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at 844-684-1064 or email DHSCovidVaccinePublic@wi.gov. This number and email address allows consumers to file complaints and ask questions about vaccine pricing.

The post What you need to know now that kids can get vaccinated appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.