The mission of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, Inc. is to improve the health status of African Americans in the state of Wisconsin and to insure equitable and comprehensive health for all people.

View BHCW's Statement of Integrity

Guiding Principles

The Black Health Coalition operates using two primary guiding principals. These principals are Empowerment and Inclusion.

1. Empowerment means that if there is sometime in the community that we have the skills, knowledge, and access to sufficient resources, then we will do it ourselves.
2. Inclusion means that we recognize that we can do everything ourselves and must rely on sources outside of our community. We however, maintain the right to tell those who would work with us, how we want things to be done.

The Coalition Services

The BHC has provided many services to the African American community and has firsthand witnessed the impact in the following areas:

• RESEARCH: Conduct research on the health status of the African Americans in the state of Wisconsin - particularly Milwaukee. Areas which have been researched, including infant mortality, family resiliency, and cultural competency.

• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Provide assistance to agencies in developing, implementing and evaluating their service delivery system.

• TRAINING/ EDUCATION: Provides individualized, on-site, community health training to health and human services workers. Specific tools have been developed to provide institutional assessments measuring cultural competency among facilities providing services to persons of colors, especially African Americans.

• ADVOCACY: Develop policies and programs to inform African Americans about the importance of the special health problems they confront and what measures can be taken to improve health. Intercede when necessary, to help them access the health care services needed.

The Projects

The BHCW currently operates five city coalitions:

1. African American Mental Health Task Force
2. African American Task Force in HIV/AIDS
3. The Milwaukee Tobacco Free Task Force/ Smoke Free Milwaukee Project
4. Milwaukee Healthy Beginnings Consortium
5. Health Access Task Force

The staff of BHCW works with each of these entities and their respective funding sources to ensure that goals and objectives are met, program reports are timely and accurate and that fiscal responsibilities are maintained.


Organizational Members of the Black Health Coalition include:

History

In 1984 at the Wisconsin Political Convention, the African American community convened an agenda setting conference. A substantial number of individuals, who participated in the health/ mental-health workshops, indicated they felt that current health related activities at health fairs lacked significant minority content. The outcome of the workshop on health was to establish the Black Health Planning Council (BHPC).

The Black Health Planning Council (BHCP) was formed to plan, organize and promote the dissemination of relevant health care information to Milwaukee minority community. The ultimate goal was improve the communities well-being. In addition, the BHCP provided minority practitioners with an opportunity to participate in health related activities. There were also opportunities to participate in key services and/ or issues, which were presented at these health related events that were geared toward minorities. The BHCP was comprised of health professionals, and provided health information to the community. In 1988, in was decided that there was a need for a more concerted effort to develop an effective voice on health care issues. It was also decided that a collaboration of professional and grassroots organizations would be the most effective. Thus, Patricia McManus and Claude Gilmore, who facilitated the original workshop in 1984, spearheaded the coming together of Black organizations to establish a citywide coalition.

The Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin (BHCW) was incorporated in October 1988, with twelve organizations. All of the organizations were required to sign a memorandum of understanding that established their commitment to forming a black health alliance for a change.

The founding organizations were the founding:

• Black Health Planning Council

• Black Nurses' Association

• Milwaukee Comprehensive Community Health

• Metro Home Health Services

• Wisconsin Association of Black Social Workers

• Career Youth Development

• Cream City Medical Society

• Milwaukee Urban League

• Black Pharmacist Association

• New Concept Self Development Center

• Black Lawyers Association

• Human Services Triangle

Since that time, BHCW has grown to twenty-six organizations and 19 individual members, all whom are African-American. The coalition is made up of health care professionals, social service agencies, professional organizations, and grassroots organizations.

Since its inception, the BHCW has been at the forefront of health issues that have impacted African Americans and other underprivileged populations in the state of Wisconsin. Whether issuing a Health Manifesto to public or private officials, or rallying for equitable access to health care for minorities, the BHC has gained the reputation of being the voice for underprivileged populations that go unheard all to often.

The Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, Inc. (BHC) adopted the concerns of the Health and Human Services' Secretary Task Force on Black and Minority Health as its basis for concentration.


Black Health Coalition of WI
3020 W. Vliet Street
Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone (414) 933-0064 Fax: (414) 933-0084
Monday through Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm