The Iowa Primary Care Association was recently awarded a $523,750 National Institute of Health AIM-AHEAD grant for year one of a projected two-year project, to develop, train and pilot a “fairness-aware” artificial intelligence/machine learning model with the goal of improved health outcomes for patients served by Iowa’s community health centers. The Iowa Primary Care Association was one of six awardees out of more than 70 applicants throughout the United States. “The NIH AIM-AHEAD grant will enable us to develop advanced tools for community health centers so they can more quickly and effectively care for patients with medically complex, high-risk conditions,” said Aaron Todd, CEO of the Iowa Primary Care Association, in a prepared statement. The Iowa Primary Care Association is a nonprofit association that supports the state’s 14 community health center organizations and their 110 locations through advocacy, workforce development and specialized training and technological services. Iowa’s nonprofit community health centers offer a safety net of crucial primary care services to Iowans, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay for services. This includes coordinated, comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services. Patients of community health centers often face complex, co-occurring conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and substance use disorders. The NIH grant will enable the Iowa Primary Care Association and its partners to develop, train and ultimately integrate AI/ML models that act as workhorses in community health care centers’ electronic health records systems to swiftly recognize patients at risk of experiencing both chronic medical conditions and behavioral health concerns – and quickly connect those patients to comprehensive care and proactive support.