A FQHCs CIO’s Playbook for Driving Change with AI

A recent discussion with Padma Sastry, Chief Information Officer at Lowell (MA) Community Health Center, illustrated a moment many health centers are facing today: the push to adopt AI in ways that genuinely improve patient access, provider satisfaction, and financial sustainability. Lowell serves more than 40,000 patients and operates in a multilingual, underserved community, with services spanning primary care, specialty care, and social determinants of health.

You can download the full conversation here.

The takeaway? AI is not a buzzword to chase; it’s a tool to re-think processes that have long needed improvement, if we approach it with clear goals, small wins, and responsible governance.

If your FQHC is ready to embrace AI but does not know where to start, Padma and the Lowell Community Health Center bring actionable guidance, anchored in a spirit of digital curiosity to steer you from first steps to scalable impact.