Fort Lewis College is uniting health care providers, leaders and experts in health and technology, as well as community partners to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations in Southern Colorado using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This ambitious project is funded by a $522,000 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant aimed at using AI to address health disparities.  

FLC Provost Mario Martinez, the grant’s principal investigator, is collaborating with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Clinic Chat, LLC, Southwest Health Systems, and researchers from FLC and the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). This collaboration, known as the Colorado Health and Education for American Indian and Latino Communities (HEAL) system, is key to improving healthcare access and equity in communities across the state.

“A key part of HEAL is to network FLC students and faculty with state partners and provide opportunities for participation where technology and healthcare intersect,” Martinez said. “Many of our students return to their communities and are passionate about caring for those who are impacted by disparities in health outcomes.”

The grant, funded by a national initiative called AIM-AHEAD (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity), aims to increase capacity in rural Colorado for AI and machine learning in the health equity space.

In the first phase of the project, the team will use machine learning to dive into data from CDPHE’s health database. By analyzing this data, ML models can identify patterns that reveal health disparities among rural populations.

The second phase of the project will focus on the creation of AI-powered chatbots to engage with Indigenous and Latinx residents. These chatbots will use the results from the first phase of the project and be designed to provide preventive health advice and suggest tailored health solutions, allowing rural residents who face obstacles to traditional healthcare access to receive personalized information and support. Cultural responsiveness will be central to the all work conducted under the grant, and respect for cultural considerations and data privacy are top priorities.

By advancing the participation of underrepresented groups in AI research and increasing local organizations’ capacities to employ these emerging technologies, the HEAL system hopes to bridge healthcare gaps by proactively engaging our communities with accessible, AI-driven preventive care, and ultimately improving health outcomes in our region.

Check out more recent news coverage on this initiative on the Colorado School of Public Health website.

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