MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Wednesday, May 13, released the names of skilled nursing homes with active COVID-19 facility-wide public health investigation. 

As of May 13, there are 38 nursing homes with active public health investigations in Wisconsin. 

CLICK HERE to view the list. 

According to a news release from DHS, people who live in nursing homes are among the most vulnerable when it comes to COVID-19 infections. Long-term care facilities are proactively informing residents, family members, and local and state health departments about positive cases in their facilities. Listing nursing homes provides additional transparency about where infections may be occurring.

“As we continue to see cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes, it is important to be transparent and list the locations where they are occurring,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “We have opted to publish the names of nursing homes in order to provide peace of mind to families who cannot visit or check on their loved ones during these unprecedented times. We are grateful for all the important work that nursing homes are doing to prevent spread and the proactive steps they have taken to facilitate communication among families, loved ones and the residents in their care.”

In Wisconsin, a single case of a resident or staff testing positive for COVID-19 leads to a facility-wide public health investigation in nursing homes.

DHS said the list of facilities will be updated weekly and is subject to change as new investigations are initiated or resolved. 

Detecting COVID-19 in a nursing home is an indicator that the nursing home is following proper procedures and working with public health experts to test and protect their residents and employees by using appropriate isolation and infection control practices. Proactive testing helps address outbreaks early on while they’re easier to isolate and manage.