St. Joseph Academy set to open John & Betty Maliszewski Family Health Clinic in partnership with Sixteenth Street Community health centers

St. Joseph Academy, a 5 Star Youngstar rated Early Childcare Center and K4-8th grade school on Milwaukee’s southside, is pleased to announce the addition of an onsite health clinic. 

The Grand Opening of the John & Betty Maliszewski Family Health Clinic will take place at 11:00 am on Friday, October 25, 2024. 

Health issues and lack of access to healthcare were identified as leading barriers to family health, child development, and academic learning at St. Joseph Academy. 

With a focus on supporting the whole child, St. Joseph Academy began exploring the possibility of providing an onsite health clinic upon re-opening following the pandemic. 

In 2022, St. Joseph Academy met with Sixteenth Street Health Centers to explore opportunities to partner for the health care needs of the children and families in the immediate community, especially those uninsured, underinsured or without a regular doctor. 

Following successful talks with Sixteenth Street and with approval from the Felician Sisters, a campaign was launched to secure funding for the clinic. 

Funding for this project was provided by the Felician Sisters of North America, We Energies Foundation, St. Francis Fund, Townsend Foundation, and many private donations from family and friends of the Maliszewski Family. 

The new clinic houses three exam rooms, a lab and a waiting area. 

Berghammer Construction was the contractor for this project. 

The clinic opened in September with a soft opening. In its first phase, the clinic will care for students, their families and staff. In phase two, expansion may include the surrounding neighborhood. 

Named after the late John & Betty Maliszewski, John & Betty were longtime supporters of health care for children. 

In 1967, John & Betty brought their son, to St. Francis Hospital due to an illness. At the time, St. Francis Hospital was sponsored by the Felician Sisters. 

John & Betty were moved to do something when they saw the large number of disadvantaged children being cared for, often with no parents present or visiting. 

John & Betty found many ways to serve including gifts for the children. 

John was a regular Santa at the Hospital for many years and was active in fundraising with the St. Francis Foundation’s annual Golf Outing. Betty enjoyed holding babies and giving children hugs and cuddles. 

When the hospital changed ownership, the Golf Outing moved to support St. Joseph Academy, a child centered Felician Ministry, thus continuing their support of children in need. 

Their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren & great-great grandchildren continue their legacy of commitment to children to this day. 

About St. Joseph Aca-demy: St. Joseph Academy is a Catholic educational organization sponsored by the Felician Sisters. 

Their Mission is to educate children to be successful life-long learners and problem solvers. 

They are guided by the Felician Core Values for Ministry: Respect for Human Dignity, Compassion, Justice and Peace, Transformation and Solidarity with People in Need. They partner with families and the community to fulfill this mission. 

St. Joseph Academy serves approximately 550 children annually. 

The Early Childhood Education Center serves infants and toddlers from six weeks to three years of age. It is accredited through the National Accreditation Commission and has a five star Young Star rating. 

The K4-8th program is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as a Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and is both Cognia and Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation (WRISA) accredited. 

All programs are housed onone campus, providing a sense of community and support for students and families.