TUE AM News: UW innovation seeks to improve health data analysis; NLRB overrules Rogers objections to union election

October 20, 2026

— Scientists at UW-Madison have detailed a way to incorporate numerous forms of medical data into a set of machine learning models, in order to better predict the course of diseases such as cancer.

WARF included the method in its latest round-up of top licensing prospects within its healthcare portfolio, noting it offers a “multi-scale approach to information analysis” across distinct datasets, ranging from medical scans to complex genetic information.

In their patent application, inventors Prof. Pallavi Tiwari and student Olivia Krebs noted routine cancer treatments involve bringing together complementary data sources such as CT and MRI images, results from genome sequencing, cellular-scale findings and clinical data such as age and cognitive scores.

“Comprehensive assessment of this deluge of data by clinicians alone is infeasible,” they wrote, adding “it would be valuable to develop computational frameworks that integrate complementary cross-scale information … to enable discovery of new markers that can pave the way for precision medicine.”

They describe the potential for “integrated prognostic markers” to reliably predict risks associated with survival, as well as disease recurrence or progression.

In its overview on the technology, WARF authors note both diagnosis and prognosis in healthcare stands to benefit from the “recent increase in the performance, costs, and access to sophisticated computational resources” for complex analysis.

Though earlier computational models drawing together various forms of health data have shown improvement over older approaches, the inventors say issues with these efforts are still largely unaddressed. Those include retrospective datasets being unavailable and the challenge of carefully optimizing strategies for combining information, they wrote.

Researchers argue earlier approaches to this challenge “do not take full advantage of complementary information and complex multi-scale, cross-correlations across and between” the diverse datasets that are now available.

Their systems and methods involve establishing a hierarchical framework for assessing key factors for a given condition, wrapping in measurements at various scales of size and frames of reference. The approach can then ultimately “capture long-range and complex associations,” offering new insights about how they may influence one another.

See the overview from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

See the patent.

— The National Labor Relations Board has shut down objections by Rogers Behavioral Health to a recent union election in West Allis, as labor organizers tout “another defeat” for the employer.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers yesterday applauded the decision from NLRB Regional Director Jennifer Hadsall to overrule the objections raised by Rogers, noting she found “no merit” to the employer’s claims.

The care provider had argued the vote was influenced by workers wearing costumes on their lunch break on the day of the election at the West Allis treatment center, as well as three previously “illegally fired” workers entering the site to vote in the election, according to the NUHW.

Of the 68 eligible voters in the election, 53 voted for unionizing while four voted against, the decision shows. While nine ballots were challenged, that wasn’t enough to influence the outcome of the election.

NUHW President Vanessa Coe argues the employer has taken “both illegal and immoral” actions against its Wisconsin workers, including retaliating against employees amid the unionization effort and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on “union-busting” lawyers.

“When workers in California joined our union, Rogers willingly negotiated strong contracts that improved patient care, and it should do the same in Wisconsin,” Coe said in the release.

In response to the union, a spokesperson for Rogers Behavioral Health said the employer is aware the NLRB has certified the NUHW as the bargaining representative for a group of workers at its West Allis and Madison clinics.

“We respect all employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act, and all employment and labor practices are conducted in full accordance with applicable law and longstanding policies,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “Rogers is unable to comment further on pending legal proceedings related to these certifications.”

NUHW says the unionization push began after Rogers moved to using AI to triage patients instead of licensed therapists, as well as ending one-on-one therapy for adults and doubling caseloads for providers. Yesterday’s announcement also noted Rogers didn’t contest any union elections at locations in California or Philadelphia, adding it has “fiercely fought” the effort in Wisconsin.

See the release.

— The Medical College of Wisconsin announced a $50 million donation, matching the largest in the college’s history.

The donation funding precision medicine efforts came from John A. and Linda Mellowes and the Charter Manufacturing Foundation. Mellowes in 2013 stepped down from roles as chairman and CEO of Mequon-based metal products maker Charter Manufacturing.

The college previously received a $50 million donation in 2022 from the Kern Foundation, its largest single donation at the time.

MCW says it will use the donation to build data infrastructure needed for “world-class precision care,” bring top medical talent to Milwaukee and provide innovative medical education.

The dollars will also support precision medicine expert Dr. Marni Falk being brought on as executive director of the new Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Institute for Genomic Medicine and Precision Therapeutics, formerly the college’s Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine.

Meanwhile, MCW will rename its Hub for Collaborative Medicine, calling it the Medical College of Wisconsin Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Health Innovation Center.

“We are proud that we can get exceptional, innovative care right here in our hometown, and we want everyone to have that experience,” the Melloweses said in a joint statement.

See the release.

Top headlines from the Healthcare Report…

— Wisconsin has now had at least 288 measles cases this year, after health officials recently said they were looking into five probable cases in Rock County.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— Wisconsin has established a new sister-state relationship with the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France, its seventh such relationship and the first created in 36 years.

Gov. Tony Evers and BFC Regional Council President Jérôme Durain yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the relationship, the guv’s office announced. The development comes after Evers and other state officials visited the French region last year during a European trade mission.

The MOU includes agreements on promoting economic cooperation in agriculture and food production, particularly dairy, as well as biohealth, life sciences, research, water tech, clean energy and more. It’s similar to a recently signed agreement between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the BFC region’s parallel agency.

Evers in a statement called the new agreement “another milestone achievement” and touted the benefits ranging from economic activity to higher education, cultural exchange and more. His office highlights the “global trade uncertainty” surrounding international relations but emphasizes the Evers administration’s focus on expanding global trade opportunities.

“By establishing this sister-state relationship today, Wisconsin’s first in over 35 years, we’re making a commitment to supporting our mutual prosperity and growth, the benefits of which will continue on for decades to come,” Evers said.

Meanwhile, Durain said companies and researchers in the BFC region have started working with counterparts in Wisconsin on biotherapies after a delegation visited the state two years ago to explore possibilities.

“With Governor Evers, we are making sure this relationship lasts, whatever happens to transatlantic trade,” Durain said in the release.

Wisconsin’s other sister states include Hessen, Germany; Nicaragua; Heilongjiang, China; Taiwan; Chiba, Japan; and Jalisco, Mexico.

See the release.

— Gov. Tony Evers is asking the USDA to reverse course on new federal match requirements for a program meant to support dairy farmers and processors.

The new rule imposed would require the four federally funded Dairy Business Innovation Initiative Centers – including one in Wisconsin – provide a 25% match to their federal funding.

In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Evers referenced her remarks at the World Dairy Expo in which she said she would “never stop fighting” for dairy farmers.

“Dairy farmers in the Midwest and across the nation need you to fight for them now, and if you really want to help, you can start by withdrawing the new, arbitrary 25 percent cost-share requirement for DBII program funding and reissuing the FY2026 DBII funding opportunity without this burdensome provision,” Evers wrote.

The centers disburse grants to help small- and medium-sized dairy businesses expand their product line and diversify their revenue streams. The program has awarded over $100 million in grants to over 900 businesses since its inception.

“If this cost-share requirement is not rescinded, DBII centers will be forced to close, ending their valuable work and negatively impacting American dairy farmers,” Evers wrote in the letter to Rollins.

Additionally, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association have also signed onto a separate letter with 26 other dairy providers opposing the cost-sharing requirement.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, also wrote to Rollins last week decrying the new match requirements. Baldwin introduced legislation creating the program that passed as part of the 2018 farm bill.

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