Milwaukee Temporarily Closes Its STI Clinic
Health department does 45,000 sexually-transmitted infection tests per year.
Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Michael Totoraitis at a March 2025 press conference. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
The Milwaukee Health Department‘s (MHD) Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic is temporarily closed.
The department announced the closure Tuesday and attributed the issue to staffing shortages. The facility, located within the Keenan Health Center at 3200 N. 36th St., had already been closed in the week prior.
“We remain deeply committed to providing accessible, equitable sexual and reproductive health care for all residents,” said Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis in a statement. “We know how important these services are for our community, and this brief pause will allow us to strengthen staffing, maintain clinical quality, and bring the STI Clinic back stronger and more sustainable than before.”
The city performs more than 45,000 sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests per year. Through Aug. 31, MHD had performed more than 39,400 tests in 2025.
“MHD is actively recruiting for public health nurses to support the clinic’s reopening. Multiple hiring events are scheduled in collaboration with the City’s Department of Employee Relations on Nov. 18, Nov. 21 and Dec. 1, along with expanded outreach and social media campaigns to promote these opportunities,” said the department in a press release.
An update on the clinic’s status is expected to be provided in the coming weeks.
The 2026 budget calls for $2.9 million to be spent on STI transmission and control, with about $800,000 coming from grants.
According to an Oct. 8 budget presentation by Deputy Commissioner Jefflyn Brown, MHD performed 2,126 STI disease investigations in 2024 and, through the end of August, had performed 1,481 in 2025.
The clinic provides same-day, walk-in testing.
While it remains closed, individuals seeking same-day testing are encouraged to visit Milwaukee Health Services (2555 N. Martin Luther King Jr., 414-372-8080), Outreach Community Health Centers (220 W. Capitol Dr., 414-727-6320) or Progressive Community Health Centers (3522 W. Lisbon Ave. and 945 N. 12th St., 414-935-8000).
During the Oct. 8 budget hearing, Totoraitis said it was hard to recruit workers for the city nursing positions.
“We have to triage where we have nurses,” said Totoraitis when discussing a neighborhood nursing program.
The salary range for MHD’s public health nursing positions is $68,146 to $86,554. The 2026 budget, subject to Mayor Cavalier Johnson‘s veto, would increase base pay by 3% and also provide an additional 4% raise for city residents.
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