New Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik spoke to media at a Milwaukee Press Club Luncheon on Wednesday.
It’s been more than a year since former Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker was pushed out amidst numerous problems with the department’s lead abatement program. It now looks like the department is finally turning the corner for the better.
However, the Health Department still faces many problems across the city and within its own department—from children testing positive for elevated blood levels, to a high number of STI rates in the city, to department vacancies and management issues. But new commissioner Jeanette Kowalik, who was selected by Mayor Tom Barrett and confirmed by the Common Council last September, is hopeful that the department can handle those challenges and others in 2019.
“2018 was quite the year for the department,” said Kowalik during a Milwaukee Press Club event Wednesday. “But my goal across the board… is to move the department forward.”
This comes as the Common Council passed resolutions Monday requiring Kowalik and the department to report back to them by March 31 regarding plans to address elevated lead levels in children. The Shepherd learned last October that there was only one employee in the department who had been taking charge in regard to water testing and filtration handout measures.
“The Council must know how our children are being exposed to lead hazards in their environment so we can establish a specific process to address cases of elevated blood levels swiftly and effectively,” said Alderwoman Milele Coggs, who introduced the resolutions. “This legislation directs our health and water officials to develop a plan to use this effective tool the best way we can.”
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HUD and Lead
Last year, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a “stop work order” for the Milwaukee Health Department regarding lead abatement it was doing with HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Grant. It was learned Wednesday that this order is still in place, but only thanks to the partial government shutdown.
Kowalik said that the department heard from its program manager on Dec. 28, 2018, that HUD was planning on lifting the order. However, this was apparently the last full business day for HUD, meaning that the Health Department has not heard back from HUD since that time.
The “stop work order” was issued last February and was originally welcomed by the Mayor and Common Council, as a letter to the department outlined ways to improve the city's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. However, it is now nearly a year since the order was given and the government shutdown means the department is left without funds from the grant that they could use.
“This is very unethical what's happening,” said Kowalik regarding the shutdown. “We are kind of in a lull now because it’s the cold season… but as the weather picks up we are going to really need access to those funds to abate those properties.”
In regard to completely fixing the city’s lead program, Kowalik said that task is “going to take a while, to be quite honest.”
MKE Elevate
Commissioner Kowalik said she hopes to address many of the issues the city is facing through the Health Department’s “MKE Elevate” plan. This plan, which Kowalik said will have a large impact on the department now, was largely forgotten about in 2018 because of the turnover and turmoil within the department. “The MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan” was completed and supported in 2017 by a number of Milwaukee leaders. It focuses on three main points, which include economic security, an inclusive and fair society and positive mental health.
Kowalik addressed some of these concerns in front of press Wednesday, envisioning greater communication between the city and county and the health department, adding that she sees a shortage of mental health providers in the area. “We need to create more opportunities,” she said. “We need to think about the whole person.”
Kowalik also discussed her support for medical marijuana, and for raising the minimum wage for workers in Milwaukee.
