News Releases: 2024

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), along with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), local health departments, and federal partners, is working to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to fresh basil. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 12 people in seven states have become infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella.

Twelve Tribal nations, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies have received grants from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) for projects to prevent and reduce the dangers of opioid use.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reminds Wisconsinites that its COVID-19 Treatment program will end on April 10. The program, initially planned to end in 2023, was extended to April 2024 due to the success of the program and high cases of COVID-19 circulating at the time.

On April 1, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted its plan for the annual share of $750 million of opioid settlement funds to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC).

“One of our top priorities is access to mental health services for all Wisconsinites who need them. Act 249 will help us address a significant gap in Wisconsin’s system of care and ensure people experiencing mental health emergencies get the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

This bill will help us transform the way we care for our state’s most vulnerable using the Crisis Now model of someone to contact, someone to respond, and a safe place to get help.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) now offers free online training to become a certified direct care professionals (CDCPs) in Spanish. CDCPs care for older adults and people with disabilities in their homes or community living spaces, helping with bathing, dressing, eating, exercise, and other daily activities.

El Department of Health Services (DHS) de Wisconsin ofrece ahora formación gratuita en línea para convertirse en un profesional certificado de cuidado directo (CDCP) (certified direct care professional (CDCP)) en español.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is celebrating the impact of community health workers (CHWs) across Wisconsin with a new multimedia campaign designed to raise awareness about their contributions and highlight the benefits of supporting community health workers for organizations that work with them.

"The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is pleased to see updated respiratory virus recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These updates reflect what the latest data and science are telling us.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded 13 grants worth $830,000 over the next two years to community organizations throughout Wisconsin to help address the youth and young adult vaping epidemic.

In time for the annual peak in norovirus cases and outbreaks, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched a new online tool to encourage Wisconsinites to report food or water sickness when symptoms occur. The online questionnaire, which takes less than five minutes to complete, helps local health departments identify sources of contamination to prevent others from getting sick.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends universal blood lead testing for children living in Wisconsin. Universal testing means all children should receive a blood lead test at ages 1 and 2 as well as any child between ages 3 and 5 who has not had a previous test. Children under 6 residing in the city of Milwaukee require additional testing per local health department guidelines.

As students begin the spring semester, the Department of Health Services (DHS) encourages parents and caregivers to be aware of Wisconsin Emergency Department data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program that shows young people experience large increases in self-harm injuries at certain times of the year, including when school resumes after the winter holidays.

With cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) rising across Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services (DHS) is urging pregnant Wisconsinites to get the vaccine to protect their baby from the virus. As of January 10 there have been 1,402 people in Wisconsin hospitalized with RSV this season, 580 of those are children under age 2.

A youth crisis stabilization facility is now open in Watertown, with start-up funding provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The eight-bed center in the former Alyea House at Camp Matz is operated by Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Community Services under an agreement with the Jefferson County Human Services Department.

Most new and existing members of Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus and other Medicaid programs who are under age 19 can now keep their health insurance benefits for at least 12 months, even if their family's income increases or they no longer meet program rules. This new policy aims to improve health outcomes for children by stabilizing their access to care. States were required to implement this change made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed by Congress in December 2022.

During National Radon Action Month, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is encouraging home and building owners, along with child care providers, to test their buildings for radon.

Radon, an odorless, radioactive gas naturally present in the ground, is found across Wisconsin, and enters buildings through their foundations. Approximately one in 10 homes in our state have elevated radon levels.