MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Alderman DiAndre Jackson is raising the alarm over Ascension Wisconsin's controversial decision to shut down the cardiac catheterization lab at St. Joseph's Hospital on the city’s north side. The move, he warns, could have devastating consequences for a community already grappling with healthcare disparities.
“This isn’t just a 7th District thing,” said Jackson. “This affects Milwaukee in general.”
The closure would force residents in the area to travel an additional 15 to 20 minutes to access critical heart care at facilities like Froedtert, St. Mary’s, or St. Luke’s. For patients suffering from heart attacks, every second counts, and the increased travel time raises concerns about life-threatening delays.
Milwaukee Fire Assistant Chief David Hensley echoed these fears, presenting stark statistics that highlight the potential impact.
“Currently, 95% of the population is within a 15-minute drive of a cath lab,” Hensley explained. “With St. Joe’s closing its cath lab, that number drops to 78%. This will affect roughly 100,000 of our residents, 74% of whom are African American.”
Watch: Heart of the Matter: Community outcry over St. Joseph’s cath lab closure
For community members like Andron Lane, the closure is personal. A community health advocate and author, Lane knows the importance of timely heart care all too well.
“I was diagnosed with cardiac methodology and congestive heart failure,” Lane shared. “It’s hereditary—my father passed away from it just weeks before I had my own emergency.”
Lane recalled a harrowing moment when his condition nearly cost him his life.
“It was one of the scariest experiences of my life,” Lane said. “I passed out in the bathroom and had to crawl to my room. I didn’t know what to do.”
For Lane, access to heart care is not just a convenience—it’s a lifeline. Hearing about Ascension's plan to close the cath lab has left him feeling abandoned by the healthcare system.
“It’s devastating,” Lane said. “When you go through something like that, your heart is racing, and you need help fast. Now, it feels like they’re telling me I don’t matter. What do I do next? Where would I go if something happens to me while I'm in that area?”
Lane has written a book titled, The Journey Of Awakening: Healing Through Self Love, to provide African Americans with better healthcare resources, but the recent closure is a stark reminder of the challenges he and his community face.
“Now I have to think twice about where I can even go for care,” Lane said, pausing to collect himself. “I can’t go on that side of town because there’s no hospital for me there.”
Critics warn that shutting down the cath lab will disproportionately impact Milwaukee’s vulnerable African American communities, deepening health inequities. For Lane, it’s a matter of life and death.
“When we talk about heart failure, heart disease—anything to do with the heart—it hits my heart cause I deal with it,” Lane said. “It’s a fear I live with, and now I worry that my son might have to deal with it.”
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