While precision medicine – the medical model that focuses on the customization of healthcare and tailors decision-making, practices and treatments to the individual – has been evolving in the last 20 years, but recent advancements are enabling it to be applied for treating diseases. To aid in the progress of precision medicine, the federal government launched the Precision Health Initiative with $215M in funding, which includes $130M for the National Institutes of Health to conduct voluntary national research via secure and responsible data sharing. Research is already underway for applying precision medicine to cancer cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer’s disease, with promise in other areas such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and mental illnesses. Ultimately, precision medicine, while focusing on the individual, will provide preventative treatment for the general population, and bring tremendous benefit to population health.