Ambassador Taksøe-Jensen was the host of a special dinner for more than 80 Novo Nordisk employees who came to Washington DC in September to participate in the company’s bi-annual Advocacy Day program. Started in 2006, the program’s focus is to bring together employees to raise awareness of diabetes and its impact on society with members of Congress.

Welcoming employees to the Embassy, the Ambassador remarked, “It is more than just product innovation that makes Novo Nordisk a leader here in the US and throughout the world. It is your understanding of what is needed to improve diabetes and your actions to get it done. The Advocacy Day program is just one more example of your commitment and leadership in improving diabetes care. This program, and your participation in it, continue to set Novo Nordisk apart and sought out by decision-makers”.

The two-day program began with an update on diabetes policy issues from colleagues in the Novo Nordisk Washington, DC office followed by meetings with members of Congress the next day. This year, employees asked Congress members to sign a letter to Secretary Burwell, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, to expand the current screening guidelines for diabetes set forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. As a result, 141 Congress members signed the letter resulting in expanded draft screening guidelines that, when enacted in 2015, will cover millions more people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.