News Releases: 2023

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded grants to six law enforcement agencies to support their work addressing the opioid epidemic in our state.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is calling on Wisconsinites to make a plan to get vaccinated against respiratory illnesses this fall. The reminder comes as the updated COVID-19 vaccine has received federal regulatory approval, a new annual flu vaccine is available, and a vaccine and antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is on the market.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is lifting up substance use prevention efforts across the state through a new grant program and awards recognizing exceptional work by partners who are improving the health and safety of people and communities. The announcements are part of the Wisconsin Substance Use Prevention Conference happening today and tomorrow in the Wisconsin Dells and online.

A new report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) finds that falls are a leading cause of injury and death in Wisconsin. The report, EMS and Falls in Wisconsin, shows that, in 2022, emergency medical services (EMS) providers responded to over 130,000 falls across the state, the top injury they responded to.

Today, Paula Tran, state health officer and administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Division of Public Health, has been selected by the de Beaumont Foundation as one of its Class of 2023 40 Under 40 in Public Health leaders.

Today, on International Overdose Awareness Day, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is expanding its commitment to ending drug overdoses and related harms. Grants have been awarded to 15 county, municipal, nonprofit, and tribal nation agencies to make life-saving resources more available in communities with a high need through vending machines in public places stocked with free fentanyl test strips and NARCAN®, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has renewed its commitment to a statewide network of substance use prevention coalitions - the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth - by awarding grants to three partners working to build a healthier Wisconsin. Community Advocates, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, and Northeastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center will act as regional coordinators for the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Public Health Madison & Dane County have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in a Wisconsin resident this year. The individual is a resident of Dane County. Cases of West Nile virus have also been reported in three horses in Wisconsin and several mosquito pools.

With the school year around the corner, the Department of Health Services (DHS) welcomes CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen today to Wisconsin as part of a nationwide call to action to ensure children are ready for a healthy school year.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recently launched an initiative to train 10,000 people as certified direct care professionals (CDCPs) to combat the state’s shortage of caregivers. The self-paced curriculum includes direct care topics such as safety, ethics, and communication.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces a new phone line is now available allowing all Wisconsinites to share their successes and challenges with a peer who will listen and offer support.

Today the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) launched a new webpage showing statewide data in BadgerCare Plus and Wisconsin Medicaid enrollment following the end of the federal continuous coverage requirement that had kept members enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between June 2023 and May 2024, more than 1.6 million, or about 1 in 4, Wisconsinites will need to renew to see if they can stay covered under their current state program.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today is recognizing the positive impact the 988 Wisconsin Lifeline has had in the year since the service began taking calls, texts, and online chats. From July 2022 through June 2023, the 988 Wisconsin Lifeline received 91,834 contacts for mental health and substance use support.

Today the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced the selection of 90 awardees for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) grants that will improve services for people who are older or have a disability, helping them remain in their home or community.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) will hold three listening sessions and offer an online survey to gather ideas from the public and partners about how to use nearly $15 million over the next five to nine years to reverse the harm caused by electronic nicotine delivery devices, also known as e-cigarettes or vapes. The funds are from a multi-state settlement reached with JUUL Labs, a leading manufacturer of vaping devices.  

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today announced four organizations have received funding to help providers better serve communities that continue to experience barriers to accessing behavioral health care. Each organization has received $85,762 in one-time grants as part of an ongoing effort by DHS to improve health equity and access.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson joined attendees at the state’s inaugural Harm Reduction Conference in Green Bay today to announce expanded efforts to address the overdose epidemic and the devastating impact it has had on communities statewide.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has confirmed that a horse in Dunn County, Wisconsin, has tested positive for West Nile virus. The positive test is a sign that mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus are present in Wisconsin and can transmit the virus to people and other animals.

From now until August 1, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking input about how we can make the Family Care and Family Care Partnership programs the best they can be. DHS will use the input to make proposed changes to the Family Care and Family Care Partnership waivers.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces the launch of the Independent Living Supports Pilot program, which will provide eligible Wisconsinites with critical resources allowing them to continue to live independently in their homes rather than entering a Medicaid long-term care program. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the pilot will take place in select areas of the state. Those who enroll will have access to program benefits for up to 12 months.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reminds residents who are BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid members that renewals are underway, and there is a "just right" time to renew to avoid delays or gaps in coverage. For example, on May 15, DHS sent renewal packets to approximately 53,000 Wisconsin households scheduled to renew in June. DHS encourages these members to submit their renewals by June 16 to avoid any gaps in coverage.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded $5.1 million in grants to 14 nonprofit dental clinics to increase access to dental care in our state. Grant awards range from $59,000 to $150,000 per clinic over three years and will enable the selected clinics to serve more children and families in need, including Medicaid members, people who have low income, people with disabilities, and people who are uninsured.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded grants for a new program designed to help families and pregnant people experiencing homelessness. Using funds from the Children’s Health Insurance Program Housing Support Initiative, selected homeless assistance providers will offer a set of supportive housing services, including housing consultation, transition supports, sustaining supports, and relocation supports.

 The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released two new reports on birth outcomes that continue to shed light on how to best reduce and address significant disparities in infant deaths across Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson took the stage at the annual Opioids, Stimulant, and Trauma Summit in Wisconsin Dells today to highlight several grant awards totaling over $18 million to tribal nations and local health agencies and other partners to address opioid and other substance use disorders affecting Wisconsinites.

Almost $1.6 million in supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to 23 county Birth to 3 programs last year is yielding positive results for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded  115 state health care providers its annual “BigShot” awards for their efforts to protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases. The Wisconsin BigShot award is an annual recognition that celebrates providers in the Vaccines for Children Program who are leading the way in protecting children’s health by ensuring their youngest patients are up to date on their vaccinations.

The federal government has announced the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will end May 11. In Wisconsin, case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 are significantly lower than they were during the surge in late 2021 and early 2022, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has been making plans to move away from an emergency response to the virus.

Over 4,000 people throughout Wisconsin will have access to treatment for the problem use of opioids or stimulants now through September because of $8 million in grants awarded today by the Department of Health Services (DHS) to three tribal nations and 22 county agencies. Opioids include prescription pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl. Stimulants include cocaine and methamphetamine.

Representatives from tribal nation, state, and local agencies, as well as children and caregivers, are in Wausau today and tomorrow for the Wisconsin Children’s System of Care Summit, an event organized by the Department of Health Services (DHS) designed to advance the state’s network of services and supports for children with or at risk of a mental health, substance use, or other challenge and their families.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), including the Office of Health Equity, today join Gov. Tony Evers and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Minority Health in recognizing National Minority Health Month.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded $10 million to three organizations for construction of spaces designed to provide treatment and recovery support services for women.

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted its plan to use nearly $8 million in opioid settlement funds to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) to support prevention, harm reduction, and capital projects to address the state’s opioid crisis. The money is part of the $400 million the state receives in annual installments through an agreement with major pharmaceutical firms.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is investigating a scam that targets FoodShare members through fake text messages. DHS is alerting members to take steps now to protect their benefits.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is notifying all Wisconsinites enrolled in BadgerCare Plus or another Medicaid program they will need to renew their benefits by an assigned due date between June 2023 and May 2024.

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) highlights critical portions of Gov. Evers’ 2023-2025 DHS budget proposal, which was introduced February 15, 2023. Gov. Evers dubbed it a “breakthrough budget,” leveraging Wisconsin’s unprecedented surplus to make investments in Wisconsin’s health care, behavioral health, public health, emergency response, and long-term care systems.

Gov. Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) have awarded $1 million in grants to increase access to mental health and substance use care for underserved communities. Ten organizations will each receive $100,000 to develop projects that build on the ability of behavioral health professionals to support people with diverse values and beliefs.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has opened applications for $15 million in grant funding to support Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS). HCBS help older adults or those who have disabilities live independently in their community. This is the second time Medicaid HCBS providers and agencies in Wisconsin are eligible to apply for between $25,000 to $1 million in grant funding.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces that Wisconsin households can now get two free at-home COVID-19 self-test kits every month through the Say Yes! COVID Test website. Each test kit includes five rapid antigen tests, for a total of 10 self-tests. Self-testing allows for quick results to help people make decisions about their health to prevent spreading the virus to others and protect the health of their community.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched a public education campaign with one simple message: 21 is the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and vape products – no matter what.

Since July 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has received five reports of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), with four cases associated with super absorbency tampon use by teenage females. No deaths have been reported. TSS is a serious illness caused by bacteria that can produce toxins. In a typical year, Wisconsin sees zero to one TSS cases. The last year when more than one case of TSS was confirmed was 2011.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today released its 2023-2027 State Health Improvement Plan. This five-year roadmap for improving health and well-being for all Wisconsinites summarizes priority areas in order to guide action, alignment, and collaboration across the state’s public health system and local partners, plans, and initiatives.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced updates to the immunizations needed for children in child care centers and schools. The changes include updated requirements related to meningitis and whooping cough immunizations, and that past chickenpox infection must be documented by a qualified medical professional. There is no change to existing exemption options for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons.

Today, the Governor’s Health Equity Council released its full report “Building a Better Wisconsin: Investing in the Health and Well-being of Wisconsinites” that includes descriptions of each recommendation. Established under Gov.

El Department of Health Services (DHS) de Wisconsin está pidiendo al público que comparta sus ideas sobre cómo utilizar una segunda ronda de los fondos del acuerdo sobre opioides para proporcionar orientación sobre dónde se deben utilizar los fondos para reducir los daños asociados con el trastorno por uso de opioides (opioid use disorder). Aproximadamente $8 millones estarán disponibles para apoyar proyectos y programas existentes o nuevos en comunidades de todo Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is asking the public to share thoughts on how to use a second round of opioid settlement funds to provide guidance on where money should be spent to reduce harms associated with opioid use disorder. Approximately $8 million will be available to support existing or new projects and programs in communities across Wisconsin. People can make their recommendations in a survey starting today through February 17, 2023.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, passed by Congress in late December, ends a federal program that has been providing additional benefits to households enrolled in Wisconsin’s FoodShare program. FoodShare households have been receiving the maximum amount for their household size or $95, whichever is more. In recent months, an average of approximately $80 million has been distributed monthly to help almost 400,000 households across our state struggling to afford food.

During National Radon Action Month, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is encouraging residents and business owners to test their homes and buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer nationally, and easy-to-use tests are widely available.