OpenAI Foundation has partnered with the Common Health Coalition on a new public health initiative, putting $100 million toward helping states and local jurisdictions close the gap between medical discovery and actual treatment delivery, starting with hepatitis C. The program is called the “Breakthroughs to Follow-Through” (B2F) Initiative. Fierce Healthcare

The goal: help participating states and localities at least double their hepatitis C cure rates over the next two years. The rollout begins in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, with plans to expand to more states later. Lifestylesmagazine

The core problem this addresses is stark – modern antiviral drugs cure over 95% of patients in just 8-12 weeks, yet only about one in three diagnosed Americans actually get treated within a year. Roughly 1.7 million people in the US currently live with the virus.

The initiative plans to use generative AI and other tools to identify patients who’ve fallen out of care and reconnect them with treatment, strengthen care coordination, and cut down administrative burden on healthcare workers. The American Hospital Association is a founding partner in the effort, and the program may later expand to cover HIV prevention and curable cancers. Chronicle of Philanthropy

The ambition is straightforward but significant: help participating states and localities at least double their hepatitis C cure rates over the next two years. The initiative will initially focus on helping local health departments and organizations across eight states over the next two years. The rollout begins with Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, with additional states expected to join within the next six months.

The problem this addresses is a stark medical irony. Direct-acting antiviral drugs cure more than 95% of patients who complete an 8-to-12-week course, usually with minimal side effects. Yet only about one in three Americans diagnosed with the infection actually receive treatment within a year of diagnosis. Current estimates suggest roughly 1.7 million people in the US are still living with the virus untreated.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has signed on as a founding partner. Michelle Hood, AHA’s executive vice president and COO, said hospitals and health systems are committed to ensuring more people gain access to curative hepatitis C treatment, and that AI tools can help care teams identify eligible patients and connect them to treatment more efficiently.

Anna Makanju, who heads AI for Civil Society and Philanthropy at OpenAI Foundation, framed the project as a model for how AI can support public health work at the community level, emphasizing that organizations closest to these challenges often understand community needs best but lack the technical resources to fully use AI tools.