A personal journey in public health: UWM alum is Health Department’s chief of staff You can’t talk about public health or COVID-19 in Milwaukee without talking about race or racism. Few people know that better than Lilliann Paine – and she’s often the person leading those discussions. Paine is the chief of staff of the Milwaukee Health Department, responsible for representing the City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner, serving as a liaison between the Health Department and external agencies, and handling much of the Department’s public relations efforts. She’s currently helping the city navigate its response to the coronavirus pandemic, but Paine and the Health Department are taking a unique approach: They’re looking at the POC (people of color) communities. “By initially focusing on racial inequity, I believe that we can address Milwaukee’s most persistent disparities while developing a permanent shift toward fairer practices and institutions that benefit all,” Paine said. Public health crises In March, Milwaukee County issued a public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the county does not have a dedicated Health Department, the city of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik was placed in charge of coordinating the county’s response. Paine was at her side, helping to inform citizens about the threat of the virus and how to slow its spread. But soon, Paine and others in the Health Department noticed a disturbing trend. “Early in our outbreak response, we detected that the African American community was being impacted the most,” she said. Paine began to craft pointed messaging and awareness campaigns that specifically targeted those most at-risk. “I frame our public health issues and solutions with a racial equity lens with the goal to de-mystify and educate about the public health system,” Paine said. “It’s important that we acknowledge that systemic and institutional racism in our city has compounded the impact of COVID-19 for African American and Latinx communities. It’s making it more challenging to stop the spread from the start.” Earlier this summer, Lilliann Paine received awards, including a presidential citation, from the Wisconsin Public Health Association for her work in bridging racial disparities in public health. Photo courtesy of Lilliann Paine.
8 • IN FOCUS • October, 2020
