Photo credit: Evan Casey
Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik
Dr. Jeanette Kowalik returned to her home city of Milwaukee to take on the role of Commissioner of Health for the City of Milwaukee in Sep. 2018. Since then, she’s become the positive force that has led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a press release, Kowalik has submitted her resignation letter to Mayor Tom Barrett to take on her new role as the director of policy development for Trust for America’s Health, a national leader in health policy in Washington D.C. 2nd district Alderman Cavalier Johnson says he admired the way Kowalik took on tough issues. She took on the role of commissioner after the Milwaukee Health Department had failed to notify families of lead contamination, and the resignation of former Commissioner Bevan Baker that ensued shortly after. Johnson describes the role of commissioner as one that was “embroiled in scandal and needed serious rebuilding.”
Even before the pandemic hit, Kowalik proved her dedication to the city in her role as commissioner. Johnson says she made remarkable strides in improving the health of Milwaukee residents. “Kowalik’s leadership also stabilized the health department’s critical lead poisoning abatement programs, supported a reinvigorated office of violence prevention, established a board of health and so many other things that have left a strong foundation for the next commissioner to build on to continue serving the residents and visitors of Wisconsin’s largest city,” he says.
Racism and Health
Kowalik came back to her city with hopes to acknowledge the racism that is a major factor in the health of Milwaukee residents. As she navigated the pandemic, she knew that this would play a role in how the Milwaukee Health Department would respond to COVID-19. “Dr. Kowalik put Milwaukee’s public health first,” Johnson says. “Milwaukee was the first community in the United States that highlighted the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color and the decisions that came afterwards sought to protect essential workers, families, food and retail patrons, as well as students.”
Johnson also acknowledges that Kowalik kept the health and safety of Milwaukee’s students in mind. “Dr. Kowalik embraced the very tough decision to not allow for school openings without health department approved plans so that schools can open safely and students and teachers are protected,” he says.
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According to Kowalik, one of the best decisions she made as commissioner was declaring racism as a public health crisis in 2019. “This helped our COVID-19 response to focus and lift up the need to address racial and ethnic disparities for COVID-19 locally and nationwide,” she says.
Kowalik adds she’s proud of her management of the local COVID-19 response despite the lack of funding and resources prior to the outbreak. However, she notes that the lack of funding for public health is preventing the health department from performing to the best of its ability. “When we have the funding and resources that we need to perform at the highest level, we’re most effective and able to save more lives,” Kowalik says.
Politicizing Science?
Kowalik worked to bring together and organize the Milwaukee Health Department. She says that she is proud of diversifying the leadership team and creating promotional opportunities for the staff and reinstating regular all-staff meetings in 2018.
As she looks to the future of public health, Kowalik says she is “deeply concerned” for public health as a profession in the United States. “Public health has been politicized and vilified,” Kowalik says. “We will continue to see more experienced public health professionals leave their posts due to external and internal pressures. For example, politics blocking orders, enforcement and toxic stress from working non-stop.”
While she looks back fondly on her accomplishments, she admits that they were achieved during difficult circumstances. “It is not a sexy time to be a Health Officer; the backlash against common sense and science is heartbreaking,” Kowalik continues.
As she returns to Washington D.C. to begin her work for the TFAH, she hopes to continue her work on providing equal opportunities for all communities. “One of the reasons why I am leaving Milwaukee for Washington D.C. is to support public health through national policy development using an equity lens,” Kowalik says. “I believe that it is necessary to shift the narrative of public health.”
