EDUARDO C. ALFONSO

DIRECTOR, BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE, MIAMI

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) is the academic and clinical department of ophthalmology at University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and UHealth. BPEI has been ranked the No. 1 eye hospital in the USA by U.S. News & World Report for 23 years. This year, 300,000 patients were treated, and 20,000 surgeries were performed on patients from around the world at BPEI’s South Florida locations. Alfonso has been director and chair since 2007. He's led the development of diagnostics and therapeutics that have become the standard of care for the prevention and treatment of blinding eye diseases and serves on the board of directors of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, a nonprofit coalition of professionals engaged in eye and vision research.

EDUCATION: Yale University (BA, MD)

NONPROFIT PASSION: I have supported The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind for many years. … I have witnessed firsthand how their training programs give children and adults the practical abilities and confidence to learn, work and live with their vision loss.

INDUSTRY TREND: Ophthalmology is being transformed through advances in technology, including digital innovation, artificial intelligence and data analytics. Virtual care, including real-time and hybrid teleophthalmology clinics, is redefining what is possible in patient care. Additionally, AI tools will assist with diagnosis and treatment, and robotic-assisted surgery will become more common. Medical extended reality (MXR) has also enabled more comprehensive eye exams and enhanced diagnostic precision. I am proud to say that the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is at the forefront of virtual health care transformation.

SOMETHING SURPRISING
“My background as someone who was born in Cuba, grew up in Puerto Rico and has lived in Florida 80% of my life!”