The philosopher Seneca once posited that “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Some believe that adage perfectly reflects what happened to Marlaina Jackson, who was named interim city health commissioner in September when her predecessor, Jeanette Kowalik, unexpectedly resigned after a relatively short tenure.
Others believe that while Jackson is highly qualified to fill Kowalik’s shoes, she may have stepped in a hornet’s nest because the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) has been the most scrutinized in city government over the last five years.
There’s no doubt Jackson’s faces a series of unique challenges– from the pandemic, a lead abatement crisis that has sparked litigation and allegations of institutional racism (even though the last four commissioners have been African American).
Moreover, the department has become a ping in a seesaw ping-pong battle played by city politicians.
The smoke hasn’t cleared yet from a lawsuit by a former white MHD employee who alleged she had been discriminated against. All but one of the city’s African American alderpersons voted against a recent settlement, creating a rift within their ranks.
They were also at odds with Mayor Tom Barrett over the selection of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin president Dr. Patricia McManus, who served as interim commissioner until the appointment of Kowalik.
But as ‘luck’ would have it, Jackson seems the perfect choice to take on the challenges.
She has remained steadfast as reports of MHD investigators being threatened by citizens who rebel against pandemic restrictions, including those aimed at limiting capacities for bars and restaurants.
There have even been death threats, which not only reflects what some attribute to ‘pandemic fatigue,’ but more succinctly represents the volatile nature and stupidity of citizens refusing to accept reality.
Jackson has stood firm in her support of the MHD policies about in-person restrictions during the pandemic and expressed appreciation of staff who have not wavered in their duties despite the threats.
“Our responsibility is public safety,” she said, noting the only way to arrest the virus leading up to the national vaccination campaign is to limit person-to-person contact, restrict in-door social gatherings, and following a masking mandate.
“I recognize that pandemic fatigue is real, particularly during the winter months,” she noted, and “our investigators are accustomed to having difficult conversations with bar and restaurant owners. But the death threats…”
Acknowledging the department has called on police to provide escort duties, the interim commissioner praised her staff’s commitment to their tasks.
Jackson is a Milwaukee native, and as I learned during our conversation, a classmate of my late son, Malik, both graduates of Messmer high school.
She is of the generation of emerging activists and leaders who were instilled with a sense of community and commitment to serve a higher purpose.
With two decades of health care leadership under her belt, including stints at Aurora and Froedtert, her expertise and administrative resume is impressive.
Thus, taking on the MHD challenges, which has been marred in controversy since Bevan Baker was fired for ‘allegedly’ ignoring the lead crisis five years ago.
Dr. McManus succeeded Baker. Her tenure sparked a conflict between supporters on the common council and the mayor.
Kowalik found herself in a similar, albeit reverse scenario, but led the department to a level of accountability and respect when she suddenly resigned after less than two years on the job.
While Kowalik said she left to pursue a high-profile position in Washington, D.C., there were rumors of her being frustrated with funding shortfalls and systemic racism throughout city government.
In steps Deputy Commissioner Jackson, highly credentialed but new to the public arena and the politics of African American leadership in the nation’s most segregated city.
Without taking time to exhale, she cemented her leadership with several new programs and outreach efforts, quickly earning staff and political leaders’ respect.
She has taken on the lead abatement challenge, although it’s obvious more tax funding is needed to eliminate that costly calamity.
Jackson is reviewing new strategies to address Milwaukee’s nation-leading Black infant mortality rate. She has created a department outreach/partner model to ‘better connect with our community and establish accountabilities within the MHD.’
The Marquette graduate has also opened a direct line to aldermen and instituted a faith-based initiative.
Impressive as her early efforts have been, she frequently finds herself targeted by special interests’ demands, usually to grant exemptions to department mandates or policies.
One such ‘demand’ was submitted by the Milwaukee teacher’s union (MTEA), which requested she invalidate a policy on school operations by restricting private schools to virtual education paradigms.
The MHD policy provides that schools meeting specific safety requirements can provide in-person classes.
While the public/government schools have decided not to open, many private and charter schools have.
The MTEA’s demand is consistent with a similar request by the state teacher’s union to the governor.
Neither has anything to do with student or teacher safety but instead are motivated by fears of a mass exodus of public-school students to institutions offering what parents consider a more viable academic process.
The loss of students to the private schools under the school choice program, the unions believe, undermines government teachers’ job security and ultimately will threaten their benefits as MPS enrollment continue to decline.
The percentage of Milwaukee students attending non-government but ‘publicly funded’ schools has grown to 25%.
The number of families leaving MPS during the pandemic is also up significantly in the last year. However, some of that growth can be attributed to parents’ decisions to home school.
Without revealing her response to the MTEA dictate, Jackson acknowledged the ‘politics’ inherent in the request, adding that there has been only one school closing under the MHD policy. The school has since reopened.
At the top of the department’s priority list is ‘Operation Warp Speed,’ the COVID-19 national vaccination project.
The first COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Wisconsin Monday. Front line workers will be prioritized for vaccinations, and if national schedules are followed, the general public will be receiving shots by spring 2121.
Healthcare experts believe a 75% saturation must be achieved to fully arrest the pandemic.
Whether that lofty goal can be achieved is another matter, one that will depend in part on the ability of healthcare and civic leaders to convince skeptical African Americans that the drug is safe and does not come with unintended consequences.
Jackson is cognizant of African American fears and historical distrust of the healthcare community.
Recognizing that dichotomy, she has put together an advisory panel to implement a strategy to overcome the distrust and maximize African American participation.
“All indications are that the vaccination is safe,” she said, but, “you can’t dismiss the reasons some of us don’t trust the system; cannot forget history.”
The Milwaukee native said even with the vaccine, the pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future.
Until the vaccination process reaches the masses, the public must continue following MHD mandates.
“it’s not just about your personal safety, but others,” Jackson explained, positing the global family is intimately related in that regard.
If someone feels uncomfortable with the vaccine, they should also consider how their decision will affect their neighbor.
That’s a significant point she will hammer home to every ear in our metropolis.
It is also a clue to the guiding principles that Jackson brings to her position as interim city health commissioner.
Yeah, you can take Seneca’s oft-quoted assessment to the bank. You can also apply the adage of writer Hal Ackerman who believes ‘success begins at the point where luck meets preparation.’
Either way you look at it, it can be surmised that while citizens are lucky to have Jackson on board during these troubling times, we’re unlucky because she has not thrown her hat in the ring to permanently take on the position.
Hotep.
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