Wisconsin Biohealth Leaders Push Data Sharing, Mobile Care

Leaders of three Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub flagship projects discussed science, technology and collaboration at the 2026 Wisconsin Biohealth Summit in Milwaukee.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Biotech

Wisconsin Biohealth Leaders Push Data Sharing, Mobile Care

Live Poll

Would you be comfortable with your medical records shared across health systems?

Leaders of three flagship projects under the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub discussed science, technology and collaboration at the 2026 Wisconsin Biohealth Summit, held Oct. 21 in Milwaukee. The summit was themed 'From Molecule to Medicine: Delivering Successful Patient Outcomes.'

Why it matters

Fragmented patient data across providers makes it difficult to obtain a complete medical history, and many residents in underserved, rural and Tribal communities in Wisconsin face challenges accessing care. The projects aim to address both problems across the state.

Wisconsin was designated a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub in 2023 and a Phase 2 recipient in 2024, with more than $80 million in federal funding committed to date. Tribal members in some areas face a 90-minute trip to reach diagnostic imaging, and the report does not detail how many residents are affected statewide.

The players

BioForward Wisconsin

BioForward Wisconsin is the state life sciences trade organization that leads the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub.

Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical College of Wisconsin is a private medical school and research institution in Milwaukee, represented at the summit by Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Mara Lord.

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health

The school is the medical school of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, represented at the summit by Chief of Biomedical Informatics Jomol Mathew.

The details

The Wisconsin Health Data Hub is building a solution that lets health systems across the state connect and share data while maintaining patient privacy protections. Screening for Life Wisconsin operates ADA-accessible mobile cancer screening clinics that travel to underserved communities, with mobile mammography and PET/CT units planned for 2027.

2023: The U.S. Economic Development Administration designates Wisconsin a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub.
2024: Wisconsin is designated a Phase 2 recipient in the program.
Oct. 21, 2026: The Wisconsin Biohealth Summit is held in Milwaukee.
2027: Mobile mammography and PET/CT units are planned to join the mobile clinics.

Big Picture

Wisconsin's tech hub is one of 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs designated under the U.S. Economic Development Administration's program in 2023. Its 2024 Phase 2 designation advanced the state's biohealth work within that federal framework.

Residents in rural, Tribal and underserved Wisconsin communities could gain access to mobile cancer screening as the clinics expand. Patients who receive care from multiple providers may eventually see their records shared more completely across health systems.

The takeaway

Coordinated data sharing and mobile care are two practical routes the Wisconsin hub is pursuing to close gaps in patient records and access. Their success will depend on how well they reach the communities that currently face the longest trips to care.