Milwaukee Health Brief: STI services return, lead screening expands, and mental health staffing stays in focus

Quick Milwaukee health updates

Several public health efforts moved forward in Milwaukee over the past few days, with a focus on access: access to sexual health services, access to lead testing for kids, and access to enough staff in behavioral health settings.

Keenan Health Center STI Clinic has reopened

The City of Milwaukee Health Department says its Sexual and Reproductive Health (STI) Clinic at the Keenan Health Center is open again after a temporary closure tied to staffing shortages. The department reports it has onboarded additional clinical staff and is continuing recruitment to keep services stable.

If you need testing or treatment, check current clinic hours and how appointments or walk-ins work before you go, since schedules can change as staffing ramps up.

Free lead screening expands into schools

Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Health Department are launching school-based lead screening clinics using a CDC-supported grant. The goal is to make blood lead testing easier to access by bringing it directly to school sites, with results available quickly.

The next clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Keefe Avenue School (1618 W. Keefe Ave.). Organizers note the site was chosen for convenience and is not meant to signal a specific lead risk at that school. More clinics are planned at additional MPS sites in the coming weeks.

Mental health workforce news with a Milwaukee link

In nearby West Allis, employees at a Rogers Behavioral Health clinic are seeking union representation, and a National Labor Relations Board hearing to set election dates is expected to take place in Milwaukee. The reporting highlights worker concerns about caseloads and how staffing policies can affect the amount of one-on-one care clients receive.

For Milwaukee-area residents, this is a reminder that access is not only about buildings and programs, but also about the workforce that keeps care timely and personal.

What you can do this week

If you have new partners or symptoms (burning with urination, sores, discharge, pelvic pain), consider STI testing and avoid sex until you know what is going on.
If you have children in elementary school, ask your pediatric clinician when their last lead test was and consider a school-based screening if offered.
If you are waiting on mental health care, ask the clinic about average wait times, crisis options, and whether telehealth visits could speed up the first appointment.

Sources

https://city.milwaukee.gov/Health/News/2026-News-Releases/January-2026/MHD-Reopens-Keenan-Health-Center-STI-Clinic
https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwaukee-health-department-reopens-keenan-health-center-sti-clinic
https://city.milwaukee.gov/Health/News/2026-News-Releases/January-2026/CDC-to-Visit-Milwaukee-Following-Lead-Screening-Grant-Award
https://www.fox6now.com/news/mps-lead-screening-clinic-feb-24-keefe-avenue-school

Employees at two Wisconsin mental health clinics seek union representation