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Op-Ed By
Steve Rottmann– CEO, Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network
May 12, 2026
Reprinted from the Milwaukee Business Journal https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2026/05/12/wishin-nonprofit-healthtech-evolves-enhance.html
Most Wisconsinites have likely never heard of WISHIN, the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network. However, if you have ever received care in Wisconsin — from getting stitches at your local emergency room or an annual flu shot at your provider’s office to filling a prescription at your local pharmacy —there is a good chance that WISHIN has assisted your providers or those involved in your care in countless ways.
As the CEO of WISHIN and a lifelong Wisconsinite, there are so many things I love about living in our state: the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers, UW Badgers, cheese curds, state parks, thousands of lakes and all four seasons (and a fifth, if you include construction).
Most of all, I am honored to work with so many dedicated and compassionate people across the state committed to providing the best care possible in urban and rural hospitals, independent clinics, pharmacies, behavioral and mental health facilities, EMS, skilled nursing facilities, accountable care organizations(ACOs), managed care organizations (MCOs) and so many others.
Wisconsin has been home to WISHIN since 2010. We are a fiercely independent, nonprofit organization that securely connects more than 2,000 care sites across the state, enabling doctors, pharmacists, care managers, emergency responders and others to access your health history in real time when it matters most —offering a single point of integrated patient care access.
Imagine a scenario where you wake up with chest pain while visiting family in Green Bay, far from your regular physician in Boscobel. With WISHIN, the hospital team in Green Bay can easily access your medical records the moment you walk in. They don’t need to start from scratch. With patient records in WISHIN, they are well-informed to deliver the care you need quickly and accurately. That same life-saving coordination happens every day across the state.
As one of our network participants recently told me, “WISHIN is the bridge that helps us seamlessly close information gaps.” And closing these gaps facilitates better care, which translates into improved patient outcomes.
WISHIN is a neutral data trustee that has been quietly and effectively connecting health care data and facilitating improved patient outcomes for 15 years. We are continually expanding our network because every new connection generates additional information that providers can use to improve care and generate better outcomes for patients. It’s our way of advancing health care for Wisconsinites.
Our work is always evolving, we’re migrating to a cloud-based infrastructure that will enhance our existing work. There will be added features native to the redesigned user interface powered by Ninja Universe. Those enhancements include expanded patient search, richer clinical data views, encounter timeline, lab result trend lines, and population health tools — all in one place.
What does this mean for you, my fellow Wisconsinites? The upgraded system will benefit those involved in delivering quality health care. They will have more safe, secure and effective ways to access patient information to make more informed decisions about your care. They will have a clearer personalized patient picture to reduce duplicate tests and coordinate with others on your care team. The streamlined interface and integrations will allow clinicians to spend less time navigating your chart on the computer and more time with you as the patient. All of this leads to a better patient experience for you.
One thing will never change: Wisconsin built this. Wisconsin runs it. And it exists for one reason: To help take better care of you.
Steve Rottmann has been with WISHIN for 10 years and has served as CEO since January 2024. He brings strategically focused leadership and technical expertise to Wisconsin’s state-designated health information exchange.
Before joining WISHIN, he served as director of information technology at a large senior-living facility, where he led technology initiatives focused on care quality, data security and operational excellence. He is also a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan following 9/11.
