City of Milwaukee Health Department partners with Ascension St. Joseph to open Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office

On Monday, April 8, 2019, Ascension Health in partnership with the City of Milwaukee Heath Department, hosted a grand opening of a new Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office at Ascension St. Joseph to help give more women and children access to the nutrition they need. WIC offers nutritious foods, nutrition education, including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to other health and social services to low-income, nutritionally atrisk pregnant women, postpartum mothers, infants and young children up to age five. The WIC staff will be based at the Women’s Outpatient Center (WOC).

WOC offers care for low-income women and their babies throughout pregnancy, delivery and early parenting months, resulting in improved birth weights and reductions in infant mortality. Forty percent of WOC patients qualify for WIC benefits but are not currently enrolled. Having access to this program at the same site where women receive pre-natal care means more women and families will be able to take advantage of this valuable resource available to them.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting ceremony are (from left) Ascension St. Joseph Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Kluesner; Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett; 7th District Alderman Khalif Rainey with his daughter; and City of Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Dr. Jeanette Kowalik, Ph.D, MPH