Strategies to Improve Uptake and Adherence to Insulin

Irl B. Hirsch, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and Diabetes Treatment and Teaching Chair at the University of Washington Diabetes Institute. He earned his medical degree at the University of Missouri. He completed an internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL, and a metabolism and endocrinology fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He is board certified in endocrinology and internal medicine.

He is the former chair of the Professional Practice Committee for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and has served as editor-in-chief of two ADA journals, Clinical Diabetes and DOC News. He has authored over 260 papers, numerous book chapters, and six books both for patients and physicians. He is section editor for UptoDate. He received the American Diabetes Association’s Josiah K. Lilly Sr. Distinguished Service Award and was elected to a Mastership by the American College of Physicians.

Dr Hirsch’s career has focused on studying the best practices for the use of insulin therapy and innovations in technology for diabetes management. Past major clinical research trials include DCCT, ACCORD, STAR-1, the JDRF Sensor Trial, SEARCH, ORIGIN, GOLD, PERL, and WISDM. He has reported important observations with the T1D Exchange. He has a long history of interest in diabetes management in the hospital and currently is involved in the study of diabetes control in patients infected with COVID-19.

Davida F. Kruger, MSN, APN-BC, BC-ADM, has been a certified nurse practitioner in diabetes at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI, for more than 35 years. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Boston College. Ms Kruger’s role includes both clinical practice and research. She is board certified in both primary care and advanced diabetes management.

Ms Kruger has been a co-investigator on numerous studies of diabetes interventions and care, including the National Institutes of Health-funded multicenter Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) and Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trials. She lectures extensively throughout the United States on maximizing outcomes in diabetes and diabetes management.

Ms Kruger is a past Chair of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Research Foundation and has served on the ADA Research Policy Committee. She is also an ADA Past President, Health Care and Education. Ms Kruger has published more than 50 abstracts, articles, and chapters on diabetes management and authored the 2006 second edition of The Diabetes Travel Guide. She has also served as editor-in-chief of 2 ADA journals, Diabetes Spectrum and Clinical Diabetes.

Ms Kruger’s awards include the Florence Nightingale Award for Excellence in Research; ADA’s Rachmeil Levine Award for Distinguished Service, Award for Outstanding Service in Diabetes Research Funding, Wendell Mays Award, and 2017 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award; the 2014 Clara Ford Award for Nursing Excellence in Research and Education; the 2014 Wayne State University School of Nursing Alumna of the Year Award; and the 2017 International Diabetes Center Donnell Etzwiler Memorial Award.