When a patient arrived at The People’s Health Clinic with sudden vision changes, no one expected that a simple, AI-powered eye exam would become the first step in saving their sight.
The clinic had implemented LumineticsCore®, an autonomous AI diagnostic system from Digital Diagnostics, just three months earlier. That decision made all the difference.
After visiting urgent care without answers—and facing a six-month wait for their next routine eye exam—the patient met with MaeLin Sorenson, PA and Diabetes Program Director. Recognizing the urgency, MaeLin performed a diabetic retinopathy exam using LumineticsCore, Digital Diagnostics’ AI-powered solution that diagnoses diabetic retinopathy in the primary care setting.
The LumineticsCore exam provided a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy with a recommendation for the patient to see an eye care specialist immediately. Recognizing the urgency, MaeLin escalated the case to the clinic’s volunteer ophthalmologist, who saw the patient within five days. The specialist confirmed the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and administered sight-saving treatment and soon after, the patient’s vision returned to normal.
“I was so relieved to finally understand what was happening with my vision,” said the patient. “Thanks to the quick eye exam with LumineticsCore at The People’s Health Clinic, I was able to get a diagnosis during my visit and see an eye specialist right away and get treatment before things got worse—it truly gave me hope that I can keep my sight.”
Breaking Down Barriers to Eye Care
At The People’s Health Clinic, a volunteer-driven nonprofit serving uninsured residents of Utah’s Summit and Wasatch counties, access to specialty care is often limited by cost and long wait times. Before implementing LumineticsCore, the wait for an ophthalmology referral could stretch up to a year—far too long for patients at risk of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy.
That all changed when the clinic brought autonomous AI diagnostics into the primary care setting.
In just three months after adopting LumineticsCore, the clinic performed nearly 100 diabetic retinopathy exams with its single on-site camera. Roughly one in four patients have shown signs of diabetic retinopathy and received timely referrals – far sooner than ever before.
“When we improve patient outcomes, we strengthen the entire healthcare system—that is what matters most,” said Mairi G. Leining, MD, MPH, FACP, CEO of The People’s Health Clinic. “Implementing well-vetted, proven AI innovations like LumineticsCore allows us to deliver the highest standard of care to our patients, ensuring that sight-saving exams and treatments are not a privilege, but a promise we can keep.”
Advancing Access Through Innovation
For clinicians like MaeLin, and The People’s Health Clinic, the impact of the technology has been transformative:
“This has just broken down that barrier to care of waiting over a year and also not having patients pay out of pocket because life is expensive,” she said. “We want everybody to have the same access to care. That’s our fight, and LumineticsCore has just been so phenomenal for our clinic.”
By integrating LumineticsCore into routine primary care visits, The People’s Health Clinic has created a new pathway for early disease detection, faster referrals, and improved access to vision-preserving care.
“The People’s Health Clinic is a shining example of how innovation can expand access and change lives,” said Laurisa Hahn, Customer Success Team Lead at Digital Diagnostics. “Their commitment to bringing technologies like LumineticsCore directly to patients who need care the most ensures that sight-saving treatment reaches people who might otherwise go without.”
Where Technology Meets Compassion
This story underscores how healthcare providers—whether in large systems or community clinics—can make a lasting difference when technology is thoughtfully integrated. For The People’s Health Clinic, adopting LumineticsCore wasn’t just about implementing new technology; it’s about preserving vision, closing care gaps, and proving that sight-saving care should be accessible to everyone.
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Close the diabetic eye exam care gap with LumineticsCore—the FDA-cleared, autonomous AI solution that diagnoses diabetic retinopathy right at the point of care.
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