A Kinnickinnic River Q&A with Ben Gramling, Director of Environmental Health at Sixteenth Street
A river and a community health center. They may seem far from related, and you might think, huh, that’s an odd pair. A number of questions may come to mind – Why would a community health center focus on restoring a river? What does the environment, much less a river, have to do people’s health?
Ben Gramling, Director of the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers (SSCHC), takes a moment to explain the immense connection between one’s health and their environment and why his department has taken the influential role it has, in revitalizing the Kinnickinnic (KK) River.
How long has the SSCHC DEH program been around?
The DEH program was started in 1997 to extend the reach of SSCHC beyond the walls of its clinical facilities. Back then, our board of directors and senior leadership realized that individual and community health was being heavily influenced by the environmental conditions of Milwaukee’s south side. Our programming grew from that realization and our staff and programs have had a pretty major impact over all of those years.
Why would a community health center focus on Environmental Health? What does that have to do with our patients?
SSCHC has always had a patient and community centered culture. Because of that, it is in the perfect position to broker a better understanding of how our community’s environmental conditions impact the lives of our clients and families, and to advocate for community revitalization and economic development that is the ultimate in preventative care.
Where we can, we are tackling some of the more significant social determinants of health- housing made unfit because of the risk of exposure to environmental lead, limited economic status due to lack of job opportunities, degraded urban infrastructure that limits physical activity and investment. My staff understand how these environmental factors directly contribute to our community’s health and vitality. They are always up to the big challenges. I think it is imperative that SSCHC plays a role in this work, or else the job of our medical staff becomes much more difficult.
Why did your department get involved with the KK River? Why is the restoration of this river important?
The Kinnickinnic River (KK River) runs through a part of Milwaukee’s south side where thousands of our patients live, and because it empties into Lake Michigan it is one of the sources of our drinking water. The river is seriously degraded. Its concrete lining is failing, the risk of flooding and death by drowning is way too high, and the overall condition of the river is a source of destabilization in the surrounding neighborhoods. Crime and safety were top concerns and housing conditions were really troubling when we first started to explore the river back in 2005. We knew that our earlier experience in the Menomonee Valley gave us a perspective on the scope and scale of these problems. We knew it would take a long time to bring about the transformation in the KK Corridor we are now seeing, but we were confident we could assemble the partnerships and resources that would be necessary to make it happen.
If you look at what has taken place along similar river systems it is hard to deny the value that a restored Kinnickinnic River can bring to our community. Look at what has happened on the Milwaukee River near the old North Avenue Dam, and the Menomonee River in the Valley and through Hart Park in Wauwatosa. These urban rivers bring new life to a community when they are treated with their due respect, and that translates directly into safer, more vibrant communities where quality of life improves almost overnight. Not to mention the value to the natural systems that can rebound pretty quickly too!
What other organizations are involved in the revitalization of the KK River?
Strategic partnerships are crucial to the success and sustainability of the work. There is too long of a list of government agencies and nonprofit organizations to mention, let alone all of the people who work for them that have made a huge difference. But, what is special about this initiative is the way in which it works with families of the KK Corridor in just about every facet of the work. Without those families, many of whom come to our clinics for health care, we would not be nearly as successful as we have been so far.
What role does the DEH have in the KK River Corridor Neighborhood Plan?
Our staff spearheaded the development of the Plan and continues to coordinate work to implement its recommendations. It is a unique plan with its own backstory- it never would have come about unless leaders at MMSD stepped up to fund development of the plan itself, and work to implement its recommendations couldn’t move forward unless residents came to the table to tell us what they wanted the plan to do for them. The plan’s goal is our goal- a healthier KK River community. I’ve listed a few specifics below, to provide a little further insight on what that means –
- To bring additional resources in to improve business corridors, parks, and greenspace
- To create a gathering place around the future KK River
- To extend the Kinnickinnic River Trail though the neighborhood
You mentioned that the residents are involved – why?
Community engagement is crucial to everything we do- it is part of our program’s DNA. Without residents’ involvement in every step of the transformation, we know that there is no way the changes we are making can be sustained over time.
What does the future hold for the DEH and the KK River?
There is a lot of work that still needs to be done on the KK, but luckily we’ve been able to sustain momentum for longer than most would have expected. That gives us hope that we can keep our luck rolling. In the next several years, the most significant changes to the river will be coming. People will really be awestruck at the scale of the transformation. They might wonder how it has all happened so fast, but that belies the reality that we have been working at it for quite some time.
Last thoughts…
We just completed a video that does a great job of telling the “KK Story” and how our work is helping achieve the mission of SSCHC. Bringing Back the Creek was the result of a partnership with Escuela Verde and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. It is a little longer than most things you might watch on You Tube, but you should check it out!
There are many opportunities to get involved with the work the DEH is doing on the near south side of Milwaukee, as a resident, community partner, financial partner, or volunteer – whether you are a Sixteenth Street patient or not.
To learn more about the program, what you can do, or to schedule a tour contact Nadia Bogue at (414) 897 – 5591, email nadia.bogue@sschc.org or visit their website.
And DON’T MISS OUT on the upcoming event of the season –
KK Spring River Clean Up Event
Saturday April 23, 2016
Pulaski Park
9:00am – 11:30 am Clean Up
11:30 Lunch and celebration with other Southside volunteers!