Department of Health Services

November 13-17 is Winter Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin

Toxic Forever Chemicals Detected In 71% Of State’s Shallow Wells

PFAS is quite prevalent says DNR study, but what comes next?

Hunters Encouraged To Participate In The DNR’s Deer Donation Program

Donations Help Wisconsinites In Need

Bipartisan Proposal Would Create Mental Health Crisis Centers Across State

Current model has police offers driving individuals for hours.

Legislative Democrats Propose Legalizing Abortion, Requiring All-Options Counseling

Proposal would repeal restrictions in place before Roe vs. Wade was overturned.

DHS Launches Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network

Connecting Wisconsin families with special health care needs to essential support and resources

COVID-19 Reporting Requirements Changing in Wisconsin

DHS Marks 25 Years of Aging and Disability Resource Centers Serving Wisconsin Communities

DHS Encourages Wisconsinites to Help End Childhood Lead Poisoning

DHS Encourages Wisconsinites to Help End Childhood Lead Poisoning

Drug Take Back Day is October 28

October 23, 2023

Bill Would Triple Eviction Notice Period For Long-Term Care Facilities

Shift from 30 to 90 days would give more time to find new housing.

Gov. Evers, DHS Announce New Federal Grants to Support the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

New investments will help increase public awareness of 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and its ability to help people with mental health and substance use needs

Republicans Reject 7 Evers Appointees

Including elections commissioner and 4 DNR board members. 'This is insanity,' says Evers, then immediately names replacements.

Gov. Evers Slams Senate Republicans for Continued Efforts to Obstruct the Peaceful Transfer of Power by Baselessly Firing Appointees

Governor names immediate appointments to ensure critical government operations continue

Gov. Evers Proclaims October 17 “Rise Up for LGBTQ Youth Day”

Increasing Number of Wisconsin Kids Skipping Immunizations

Use of personal conviction waivers has increased, particularly in rural and small school districts.

MUPD, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery partner to install Nalox-ZONE boxes on Marquette campus

GOP Senators Express Skepticism of Governor’s Childcare, Workforce Bill

Issue coming to head with worker shortage, expiration of childcare subsidy program.

State DHS Urges Syphilis Testing During Pregnancy

Congenital syphilis cases up dramatically in state and nation.

Measles Case is Confirmed in Milwaukee

Groundbreaking For Coggs Center a History Lesson

Trailblazing legislator's legacy continues at new human services building.

Can State Reduce Its High Black Infant Mortality Rate?

Wisconsin has one of highest rates in U.S. Experts, research suggest solutions.

Wisconsin Schools Not Spending Pandemic Aid On Air Quality Improvements

Wisconsin school districts received more than $1.5 billion in federal funds.

DHS Awards Funding to Law Enforcement Agencies Working to Address the Opioid Epidemic

Application period still open for additional grant dollars

State Health Leaders Urge Individuals To Get New COVID-19 Booster Shot

Updated vaccine better matched to variants currently circulating.

DHS Calls on Wisconsinites to Make a Plan to Protect Against Respiratory Illnesses This Fall

Updated COVID-19 vaccine approved and available soon, flu and RSV vaccines available statewide

State’s Elder Care Facilities Face Staffing, Budget Issues

Nearly two dozen nursing homes in Wisconsin have closed since 2020.

State Says Relatively New Hospital Has Corrected Serious Safety Flaws

Granite Hills Hospital provides psychiatric care, in partnership with Milwaukee County, to uninsured individuals

Gov. Evers, DHS Renew Commitment to Suicide Prevention During Year of Mental Health

Statewide resources and support available to individuals and families as deaths in Wisconsin top 900 for second year

City Regulators Can Require Fixing of Lead Hazards — If They Can Find Landlords

Out-of-state landlords, ever-changing owners elude Milwaukee Health Department.

Grants Awarded to Support Statewide Network of Substance Use Prevention Coalitions

Three organizations to act as regional prevention coordinators for the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth

Milwaukee Renters Face Lead Poisoning Risks

City struggles to hold landlords accountable. ‘We have to do something,’ top official says.

First Human Case of West Nile Virus Confirmed in Wisconsin

DHS urges Wisconsinites to continue to prevent mosquito bites

Program Aims To Help Inmates Avoid Opioid Addiction After Release

Behind The Walls operates from within Milwaukee's Community Reintegration Center.

Response To PFAS Contamination Ongoing With Town Of Stella And Multiple State Agencies

4% of Tested Water Systems In Wisconsin Exceed EPA’s Proposed PFAS Limits

But all tested systems are meeting the state's less-stringent standard.

Gov. Evers Announces State Building Commission Approves Approximately $341.8 Million in Projects Across Wisconsin

Alcohol Killing More Wisconsinites, Studies Show

State’s excessive drinking culture causes alcohol-induced deaths at a rate nearly 25% higher than rest of the country.

DHS Announces Free Online Program to Train 10,000 Caregivers

New curriculum and employment website support home and community-based care

Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Expand Vaccine Access

The bills, aimed at addressing state's decreasing vaccine rates, are unlikely to advance in the Republican-led Legislature.

Attorney General Kaul Joins Law Enforcement, Public Health Officials Across Wisconsin to Highlight Additional NARCAN® from Opioid Settlements

Opioid Settlements Yield 31,560 Additional Doses of NARCAN® for Wisconsin Law Enforcement

Houses of Worship Could Become Exempt From Emergency Orders

Authors of the proposed constitutional amendment argue that it's a matter of separating church and state.

Gov. Evers Takes Action on 17 Bills

Report Highlights Plan to Address Drinking Water Contaminants

99% of public drinking water systems met standards in 2022, but PFAS, lead remain problematic.

Need someone to talk to? Call UpliftWI

New phone service offers peer support statewide

1.4 Million Wisconsin Residents Need To Reapply For Medicaid, Will They?

As of June, more than one-third had not initiated the renewal process. Real test comes at end of summer.

Problems Abound With Access To FoodShare Program After Changes

People wait on hold, only to be hung up on when office closes.

West Allis Fire Department Offering Medication to Prevent Overdoses

Will offer people buprenorphine, approved by FDA to treat opioid use disorders.

Many in Wisconsin Losing Medicaid Coverage

39,000 recipients found ineligible in June, first month of transition from pandemic rules.

State’s 988 Crisis Line a Success

In first year after its launch, 91,000 calls to mental health crisis line, up by 74%.

988 Wisconsin Lifeline Marks First Anniversary

Wisconsinites can call, text, and chat for free, 24/7 mental health and substance use support

UWM is a partner in a new CDC national center for wastewater surveillance

Second Round of Grants for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Exceeds $12 Million; Total Funding Reaches $30 Million

90 organizations will receive funding, many with a focus on crucial transportation enhancements

Additional Grants Awarded to Help Reduce Disparities in Behavioral Health Care System

Equity and inclusion trainings to be offered to service providers

Study Finds Maternal Death Rate Rose in Last 20 Years

Highest increase in Wisconsin was for Native American and Hispanic mothers.

Wisconsin Officials Urge Fireworks Safety On Fourth of July

Dry conditions call for more caution, state fire officials stress.

DHS Announces Expansion of Harm Reduction Efforts

New funding for public health vending machines aimed at preventing or reversing overdose

Wildfire Smoke Prompts Heath Warnings, Calls for Climate Action

'We cannot accept this as our new normal.'

Multi-Day Air Quality Advisory Issued

Most Significant Impact This Season Across All Of Wisconsin

‘They Die So Quickly’ From Fentanyl

50 times more potent than heroin, causing more than 1,000 overdose deaths per year in Wisconsin.

DHS Launches Independent Living Supports Pilot Program

New effort explores ways to support Wisconsinites living at home longer, for better health outcomes

Troubled Apartment Complex Paying Tenants To End Leases

DNR won't let tenants return to Community Within the Corridor for several months.

WEC Mails Postcards to Inactive Voters

Despite Legal Gay Marriage, Wisconsin Laws Still Centered On Husband and Wife

From birth certificates to court documents, same-sex parents have concerns.

DHS Reminds Medicaid Members to Submit Renewals on Time

Members with June renewals should submit by June 16 to avoid gaps in coverage

DHS Awards Funding to 14 Nonprofit Dental Clinics

$5.1 million to increase access to dental care for Wisconsinites in need

GOP Legislators Block Changes To Childhood Vaccination Rules

Move prevents Wisconsin Department of Health Services from updating rules related to chicken pox and meningitis.

Missing Ventilators Restart Fight Over Federal Funds Oversight

Auditors found some COVID-19 supplies missing, triggering debate about who should control aid dollars.

Over 100 Hospitals Push Legislature to Hike Medicaid Funding

Citing state budget surplus as 'historic opportunity' to increase reimbursement rate.

DHS Releases New Reports on Infant Deaths in Wisconsin

DHS Releases New Reports on Infant Deaths in Wisconsin

Bipartisan Bill Gives Suicide Prevention Grants to Gun Shops

'We lost 888 Wisconsinites last year to suicide,' says Rep. Jesse James.

Dr. T Confirmed As Health Commissioner

Michael Totoraitis is the new leader of city health department.

Bill Targets Hospital Pricing Transparency

Sen. Mary Felzkowski leads GOP proposal focused on creating "shoppable services."

New PFAS Fish Consumption Advisory For Green Bay And Associated Tributaries

Elevated Levels Of PFAS Found In Rainbow Smelt

Evers Calls GOP Cuts to Mental Health Services ‘Foolishness’

$235 million for school mental health services one of 545 proposals cut from his budget.

New Toolkit Available To Help Local Leaders Address PFAS Contamination In Drinking Water

State Awards For $8 Million Opioid Addiction

Milwaukee County could potentially double previous record for overdose deaths.

New Health Commissioner Wins Key Approval

Michael Totoraitis says he's commited to providing long-term, strategic leadership.

DHS Honors State Health Care Providers With the “Wisconsin BigShot” Awards

Annual recognition celebrates providers leading the way in protecting children’s health

DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 prevention and precaution remain a priority as response programs transition

DHS Awards $8 million for Opioid and Stimulant Treatment Service

Tribal nation and county agencies to use funding from the State Opioid Response Grant Program to support local needs

Celebrate Earth Day With The Wisconsin DNR

Fewer Kids Are Getting Tested For Lead Than Before Pandemic

17% decline across Wisconsin since 2019.

Drug Take Back Day is April 22

April 19, 2023

Mayor Names New Health Commissioner

Michael Totoraitis will lead department, subject to council confirmation.

DNR Seeking Public Input On PFAS Contamination In Marinette, Peshtigo And Surrounding Communities

In-Person Listening Sessions May 3, 2023

Gov. Evers Declares State of Emergency Due to Elevated Flooding Concerns

Researchers Find BadgerCare Changes Would Worsen Care, Violate Federal Law

Advocates for proposal say it would combat fraud.

New Bills Would Make It Easier to Lose “Welfare Benefits”

After statewide referendum, Legislature debating eight bills that would expedite removal of Medicaid and unemployment benefits.

Audit Finds Millions of Medicare Funding Unclaimed By Wisconsin

Republican legislators call for tighter oversight by state departments.

DHS Awards $10 Million to Construction Projects for Opioid Treatment and Recovery Support Services

New and renovated buildings to provide much needed space for women with opioid use disorder

Gov. Evers Takes Action on Two Bills

State Could Prosecute Community Within Corridor Developers

But questions remain about the timeline. Plus: A recap of the week's real estate news.

Wisconsin DNR Statement On Community Within The Corridor

Bipartisan Support For Extending Medicaid Benefits For Postpartum Mothers

Approximately 50 post-partum deaths annually that the Wisconsin health department believes are preventable.

DHS Submits Plan to Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance on How to Use $8 Million in Opioid Settlement Funds

Money is part of the $400 million award the state receives annually from settlements with pharmaceutical companies

New Milwaukee Apartment Building Closed For Health Emergency

Community Within The Corridor has high levels of dangerous chemical, many residents forced to leave.

Advocates Concerned About Growing Shortage of Psychiatrists

Suicide rate spiking in Wisconsin. Psychiatrist shortage in at least 55 of 72 counties.

Bipartisan Bill Would Extend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage

Would extend coverage from 60 days to one year to improve infant and maternal health.

Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services