This session explores how multilingual voice AI can support patient self-management by enhancing communication, reducing burden on care teams, and improving health literacy. Participants will examine how AI-powered tools can automate the delivery of routine instructions and frequently asked questions, enabling patients to access clear, consistent information before and after clinical visits. The session will also highlight how delivering guidance in a patient’s preferred language or dialect builds trust, promotes equitable access, and strengthens patient-provider relationships. Attendees will gain insights into how these tools can support compassionate care and optimize clinical experience for both patients and providers.
Presented by:
- Carlos Yu, MD, Family Physician, Durham Primary Care Network, OntarioMD Peer Leader
- Mei Chen, Machine Learning Engineer, Free the Agents
- Ron Beleno, Patient Advocate, RB33, Inaugural Ontario Caregiver Impact Award Recipient 2025
Presenter Bios:
Carlos Yu, MD
Carlos Yu is a family physician with over 35 years of experience and a passionate advocate for
digital health, presence-based care, and physician wellness. He serves as the Physician and
Community Engagement Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team, an OntarioMD Peer
Leader, and a Physician Wellness Advisor with the Ontario Medical Association. Through group
programs and systems-level advocacy, Carlos works to reduce physician burnout, incorporating
AI to ease administrative burden and restore joy in practice. As the founder of Presence
Therapy, he blends mindfulness, ear acupuncture, and sensory awareness to deepen healing. A
firm believer that patients are an untapped healthcare resource, Carlos develops multilingual
tools that empower individuals to take a meaningful role in their own care. He’s a math geek
turned mindful physician—quietly redesigning healthcare from the inside out.
Mei Chen
Mei Chen is the Founder and President of Free The Agents, where she leads the development of empathetic voice AI agents that help patients navigate healthcare systems and understand their medical journeys in plain language. With over a decade of experience in machine learning and a background spanning neuroscience, digital health, and large-scale AI deployments across pharma, legal, and insurance domains, Mei brings a unique cross-sector lens to patient empowerment through technology. Her work has ranged from building FDA-oriented diagnostic tools to deploying AI pipelines in five countries. A former researcher in brain-computer interfaces and an award-winning entrepreneur, Mei is now focused on harnessing conversational AI to close the health literacy gap and make care more accessible for all.
Ron Beleno
Ron Beleno is a caregiver and patient advocate, community mobilizer, and digital health champion based in Toronto, Ontario. With over two decades of caregiving experience, including supporting his late father with Alzheimer’s, Ron brings a lived-experience lens to health innovation. He was the founding Co-Chair of AGE-WELL’s Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee. AGE-WELL is Canada’s Technology and Aging Network, where Ron has helped shape national research and innovation priorities. In 2025, he received the Ontario Caregiver Organization’s Inaugural Janet Beed Impact Award in recognition of his leadership in advancing caregiver and patient engagement across Ontario and beyond. Ron collaborates with researchers, clinicians, technologists, and startups to improve the lives of aging adults, caregivers, and patients. He is also involved with health and research teams across Canada focused on Essential Digital Health for the Underserved, addressing language barriers, digital equity, and inclusive care.