From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Officials today rolled out a new Injury and Violence Prevention Strategic Plan for Wisconsin, the state’s first in more than 10 years.
The report, which comes amid falling violence rates in the state, features five key focus areas to shape prevention efforts between now and 2030. These include: child abuse and maltreatment; intentional firearm injuries; intimate partner assault; self-harm and suicide; and unintentional drug overdoses.
It also lays out strategies for addressing these topics, ranging from ensuring safe environments for children to strengthening community connections and expanding access to various resources.
“Injury and violence are urgent public health concerns in Wisconsin that require commitment of financial resources, public will, and community engagement,” authors wrote.
As part of this effort, the state’s role includes coordinating both federal and state funds to support the plan, create more public education resources, guiding community-level public health messaging and more.
The focus groups involved with crafting the strategic plan stressed the importance of “assessing impact, not just sheer numbers,” authors wrote, noting the disparate impact of certain types of violence.
While Black state residents made up about 7% of Wisconsin’s population in 2023, they made up 25% of firearm-related deaths for the year, per the report.
“Similarly, the proportion of people of color who die from gun-related injuries remains very high compared to the proportion of white people who die from gun-related injuries,” authors wrote, noting recommendations focus on “addressing the root causes of patterns in injury and violence” within Wisconsin communities.
Meanwhile, DHS notes violent deaths have been declining in the state. Wisconsin has seen a 19% decrease in homicides since 2022, including a 25% decline in gun-related homicides, according to figures from the agency.
See the release below.
— Closures of labor and delivery units in Wisconsin are driving up travel times for patients in the state, especially in rural areas, according to a recent report from the nonprofit March of Dimes.
On a statewide basis, these closures have resulted in a 6.6% increase in travel burden for those seeking labor and delivery services, the report shows. That’s based on closures that occurred between Jan. 1, 2024 and May 1 of this year.
At the county level, these recent closures are having the greatest impact in northwestern Wisconsin, report authors found.
“Staffing shortages contributed to multiple labor and delivery unit closures, including in Barron and Taylor counties, where travel times to the nearest unit tripled for residents,” they wrote. “The effects also extended into surrounding counties such as Rusk and Price, where travel times were already nearly one hour and increased by 46% and 19%, respectively.”
And while rural areas are getting hit the hardest by these delays, the report notes suburban and metropolitan areas are facing challenges of their own.
“In the Milwaukee region, for example, hospital consolidations and labor and delivery service changes have shifted where families seek obstetric care, reflecting broader financial and workforce pressures affecting hospitals across Wisconsin,” authors wrote.
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