MILWAUKEE — A vital Milwaukee health clinic that serves hundreds each week is temporarily closing its doors due to a nursing shortage. The city's Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic, offering STI treatments at the Keenan Health Center, has shut down operations temporarily, not because of funding cuts, but due to a critical shortage of nurses.

The clinic typically serves about 30 patients daily, sometimes with just two nurses on duty — far below what's needed to maintain safe operations.

"We've actually been having challenges staffing our public health nurses in particular. These positions are critical to the roles of patient care that we provide here," Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis said.

The department says using temporary nurses and reducing hours still weren't enough

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