Lessons Learned from AI-Enabled Diabetic Retinopathy Screening at San Ysidro Health

This webinar explores key lessons learned from conducting a randomized controlled trial in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) using artificial intelligence to screen patients for diabetic retinopathy. Speakers will share practical insights on coding and reimbursement considerations, the evolving role of providers in AI-enabled screening workflows, and patient acceptance of AI-driven care. The session will also highlight why addressing social drivers of health and understanding population characteristics are critical to successful implementation and equitable outcomes in safety-net settings

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Sonia C. Tucker, MBA, is the Vice President of Population Health for San Ysidro Health, a large Federally Qualified Health Center organization serving the underserved in Southern California. She is responsible for overseeing the Population Health of the organization, which entails quality of care, risk management, patient access and experience, and lastly social services program. Sonia Tucker is a foreign-trained Medical Doctor; after medical school, she worked with underserved communities in Venezuela. Sonia moved to the United States, where she has worked with non-profit organizations, traveling worldwide to provide high-quality primary care services to people who can’t afford them.

​Sonia obtained a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in healthcare management. Sonia has spent most of her career educating patients about the importance of preventive medicine, the advantages of Public Health, and creating systems to ensure the quality of care and health equity. Sonia has been working for Federally Qualified Health Centers for over a decade. Sonia’s work has led to improvement in the healthcare organizations she has worked for, achieving numerous quality of care recognitions from organizations such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and many more.

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Edgar Diaz, MD, is the Director of Research and Health Promotion at San Ysidro Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving over 145,000 patients annually in San Diego County. He oversees comprehensive research efforts, care coordination, health education, and outreach initiatives. Edgar is a Co-Investigator in the DRES-POCAI study, a clinical trial exploring innovative approaches to provide point-of-care diabetic eye care in FQHC settings.

​As a Research Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, Edgar focused his research on the respiratory and cardiovascular effects of air pollution. He then transitioned to UC San Diego, contributing to the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment (CAICE) and later to the American Gut Project. Since its inception five years ago, Edgar has been part of the Alzheimer Gut Microbiome Project at Duke University, which aims to understand the role of the gut microbiome metabolome in Alzheimer’s disease.

​Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Edgar is a bilingual and bicultural researcher with a diverse background in public health. He is passionate about improving health outcomes through research and promoting accessible healthcare for all.