Medical Directors

The Whittier Institute's Scripps Whittier Diabetes Program and Project Dulce are led by a physician team of dedicated endocrinologists. Drs.Athena Philis-Tsimikas , George Dailey, Daniel Einhorn,  and   Jeffrey Sandler lend their depth of experience to champion patient programs recognized for their excellence in the assessment and management of diabetes.

Athena Philis-Tsimikas, M.D. is the Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer of The Whittier Institute for Diabetes located in La Jolla, CA. She received her medical degree from the University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece in 1988 subsequently completing dual research and clinical fellowships in Diabetes and Endocrinology from the University of California, San Diego, and Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of Diabetes and Endocrinology. Dr. Tsimikas has served as the principal investigator in numerous clinical research trials over the last 8 years. She has dedicated her career to furthering diabetes care, research and education.

Prior to joining The Whittier Institute Philis-Tsimikas served as a clinical endocrinologist on the staff of the Scripps Clinic Medical Group for 7 years in Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology. She has also served as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego for the past 11 years in the Division of Endocrinology/Diabetes and Metabolism. In 1997, she assisted in establishing the community wide, diabetes program, Project Dulce as its medical director.

Dr. Tsimikas guides the organization’s strategic direction and clinical focus, which includes: patient care and education provided by the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Program and Project Dulce; diabetes research; clinical trials; diabetes training programs for professionals; and diabetes prevention programs for children and their parents. “Diabetes is not only a growing epidemic in the U.S., but here in our community,” says Dr. Tsimikas. “The Whittier Institute for Diabetes is a vital resource in making the disease more manageable today, while working to find solutions and a cure for tomorrow.

George E. Dailey, M.D. brings over thirty years of experience in Diabetes and Endocrinology to his position as Medical Director at The Whittier Institute. After receiving his medical degree from University of Alabama, Birmingham and post doctorate training at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Dr. Dailey was conferred a NIH Individual Research Fellowship Award at Vanderbilt University. In 1982, he joined Scripps Clinic where he serves as head of the Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology. In addition to his position as Clinical Professor (Voluntary) in the Department of Medicine at UCSD, Dr. Dailey is a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology.

His clinical research primarily involves new treatments for diabetes and its complications, including his participation in over 100 such trials over 20 years. Recent efforts have been focused in trying to improve the care of large populations of individuals who have diabetes. Using electronic (computerized) data Dr. Dailey believes practitioners can find almost all patients who have diabetes among managed care patients. He and his colleagues have developed an electronic Diabetes Registry that is constantly updated, matching medical visits, prescriptions, lab and hospital data in an effort to determine who is at greatest risk for diabetes and to try to intervene before major problems occur. Patients identified at higher risk are asked to visit diabetes educators who can assist in their care and communicate with their primary physicians. Ideally, Dr. Dailey envisions this concept’s expansion to other sites throughout San Diego County.

Daniel Einhorn, M.D., received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, and his internship, residency and fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He served on the faculty of Harvard until coming to San Diego in 1984, and has since been a clinical endocrinologist with Diabetes and Endocrine Associates, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Voluntary) at University of California, San Diego, and, until 2000, the Medical Director of the Diabetes Treatment and Research Center at Sharp Healthcare. He has since been a Medical Director of the Scripps Whittier Institute Diabetes Program. Dr. Einhorn has held many leadership positions with the Board of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Medical Association's Diabetes Advisory Council and The Endocrine Society. He Chaired the American College of Endocrinology Task Force on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome and the Conference on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome. He has served on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Managed Care Initiative and on the regional ADA and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and as Chair of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Program of San Diego and Imperial Counties. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Endocrinology. His research and publications cover diabetes prevention and reversal, recognition and treatment of diabetic complications, new technologies, new pharmaceuticals, combination therapies, and clinical decision-making. He has lectured nationally and internationally on these topics, and has led dozens of national and regional symposia. His teaching interests include writing for the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program of the American College of Physicians and serving as Guest Editor of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. Dr. Einhorn also consults to biotech and high tech companies and to regulators, including Food and Drug Administration advisory committees. Dr. Einhorn's passions revolve around family, education, preventive health care, and the healing relationship.

Jeffrey A. Sandler, M.D., is a Clinical Professor of Medicine (Voluntary) at University of California, San Diego; Medical Director for the Institute for Health Maintenance (formerly Sharp Weight Management); and Medical Director for the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Program. Dr. Sandler attended the University of Michigan and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois. He began his medical career at the University of California, San Diego, where he later returned after serving with the Laboratory of Cellular Metabolism at the National Heart and Lung Institute in Bethesda; the Department of Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and as chief resident in the Division of Endocrinology, School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Sandler has held leadership positions with the San Diego Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, has served as a diplomat for the American Board of Internal Medicine, and was a Teaching and Research Scholar for the American College of Physicians. He also hosted the “House Calls” segment on KFMB News Eight from 1977 - 1988. Society membership includes the American Federation for Clinical Research; Fellow; American College of Physicians; Endocrine Society; American Society of Internal Medicine; American Association of Clinical Endocrinology; American Society of Diabetes Educators; San Diego County Medical Association; and California Medical Association.