The OpenAI Foundation invested $100 million towards a new public health initiative with the Common Health Coalition aimed at helping states and local jurisdictions close discovery-to-delivery gaps, beginning with hepatitis C.
The program—dubbed the Breakthroughs to Follow-Through (B2F) Initiative—will initially focus on helping state-based partners to “at least double” hepatitis C cure rates over the next two years across eight initial states and localities, according to a press release.
Initial funds will be awarded to local collaborations and non-profit organizations to deploy such strategies in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana and Massachusetts. The Common Health Coalition, multi-sector health collaborative, will work with local health departments, organizations and community partners to implement these solutions.
“Our state is very fortunate to have this opportunity to improve the health of Alabamians living with hepatitis C,” said Scott Harris, M.D., Alabama State Health Officer, in a statement. “A cure is available for most people, but we are not always able to reach those who have not yet been diagnosed or connected to care. This initiative gives Alabama an opportunity to bring together the people, partnerships, data and technology needed to close those gaps. If we can find more people who need treatment and help them receive a cure, we can make a real and measurable difference in the health of Alabamians.”
Four additional participating jurisdictions will be announced within six months, according to the press release. The program will expand to HIV prevention, curable cancers and “other topics as identified,” the organizations say.
OpenAI Foundation Head of Civil Society and Philanthropy Anna Makanju told Fierce Healthcare in an emailed statement the initiative “reflects exactly the kind of work” the Foundation was created for.
"Effective treatments already exist for hepatitis C and other diseases, yet too many people still aren't receiving them,” Makanju said. “We saw an opportunity to partner with organizations already leading this work and explore how AI, combined with implementation expertise and local leadership, can help close that delivery gap.”
The organizations say a “comprehensive national strategy” is needed to eliminate hepatitis C in the U.S., and noted such a proposal is included in the bipartisan “Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026” (PDF).
"Dramatic progress on health is entirely within our reach, but it requires pairing discovery with delivery” said Dave Chokshi, Common Health Coalition chair, in an emailed statement. “Hepatitis C is our first target, but we also have a broader goal with this initiative. By turning 'breakthroughs into follow-through,' we aim to design a modern health infrastructure capable of delivering care to the patients most in need.”