MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee parents and community advocates claim nearly 2,000 children on the north side of Milwaukee are being "left behind" by Children's Wisconsin.
The group stood in front of Children's Wisconsin Next Door pediatric clinic near 29th and Center, chanting "All kids matter!"
Demonstrators were protesting against its closure planned for December 8, 2023.
A spokesperson for Children's Wisconsin promises dental clinic at Next Door will remain, but the pediatric primary care services will no longer be available by next month, and services for those children will be available at several Children's clinics in Milwaukee, which include:
- (Closest, 2.9 miles away) Midtown Clinic-Children's Wisconsin, 5433 W Fond du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53216
- Good Hope Pediatrics-Children's Wisconsin, 7720 Good Hope Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53223
- River Glen Pediatrics-Children's Wisconsin, 4655 N Port Washington Rd, Glendale, WI
The full statement from Children's Wisconsin Spokesperson Ashley Janzen emailed to TMJ4 News at 12:13 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2023, reads as follows:
"At Children’s Wisconsin, we are steadfast in our commitment to provide high-quality care and support for all kids and families in our community. That includes more than 76,500 Milwaukee kids we serve every year through both clinical and community-based services. After carefully reviewing our offerings at the Next Door Pediatrics clinic and the needs of our patients, we have determined the space and size constraints at Next Door Pediatrics do not allow us to consistently deliver the services our patients require. While pediatric primary care services are being transferred to our other clinics in Milwaukee, the dental clinic at Next Door will remain. We currently are working with patient families to assist in the transfer of their care to our other Children’s Wisconsin Primary Care locations, including our Midtown Pediatrics, Good Hope Pediatrics or River Glen Pediatrics locations, as well as to determine solutions regarding concerns such as access to transportation to the family’s new clinic of choice.
This was a difficult decision, and not one we took lightly. We are grateful for the community support for the Next Door Pediatrics clinic and we will continue to work with the community, local leaders and organizations, such as the Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE), to determine the next use of this space to support kids and families. This is in addition to our ongoing work with COLE and others to make sure all kids at risk of lead exposure in Milwaukee, especially kids under the age of 3, are tested.
In no way was this a financial decision. Well over 50 percent of our patients every year receive some form of Medicaid coverage and we are long-time advocates for keeping Medicaid and BadgerCare strong for Wisconsin families. In addition, we are continuing the lease on the clinic, all our providers and staff have chosen to stay with Children’s Wisconsin, and we hope every patient family stays as well."
Advocates like Diannia Merriett with Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) spoke out during a news conference in front of the 29th and Center Clinic Friday, saying the closure would cause pressure on families who already struggle with access to transportation, "I couldn’t imagine having a sick kid would need to figure out, 'Do I have to pay for Uber or my phone bill?' or 'Am I going to use my money to pay my light bills, or Uber to get my kid out to another doctor?'"
Milwaukee mother Deanna Branch credits Children's Wisconsin Next Door Pediatrics for finding, treating, and bringing down dangerous lead levels found in her son Aiden's body, who was two years old at the time. She credits hard-working Next Door doctors for helping her son become a healthy, happy, and thriving 10-year-old today.
She herself has become a lead awareness advocate, even taking her son to the White House, "He was able to meet the president of the United States because of all the hard work that Next Door Pediatrics has done for the community."
Branch finished by saying at the news conference in front of the clinic at 29th and Capitol: "I will not stop talking, and I will not stop until the decision from Children's is to keep this clinic open. Not only for my family but for the community."
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