Kathleen S. Irby, MD, was honored with the 2025 Health Care Transition Innovator Award at the 7th Annual Teen to Adult Health Care Transition Summit, hosted by Primary Children's Hospital. The award recognizes outstanding leadership and innovation in advancing health care transitions for adolescents and young adults with complex health needs.
Dr. Irby was recognized for her sustained work improving transition processes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and medical complexity, with a rare dual focus on both pediatric and adult health care systems. Her efforts emphasize continuity of care, person-centered planning, and reducing system-level barriers that families and patients often face when moving from pediatric to adult services.
An Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Palliative Medicine, and Pediatrics (Complex Care) at the University of Utah, Dr. Irby brings specialized training in internal medicine, pediatrics, hospice and palliative medicine, and adult developmental medicine. She has played a key role in institutional and regional transition initiatives, including serving on Primary Children's Hospital's Transition Governance Council and the planning committee for the Adolescent and Young Adult Transition Summit.
Dr. Irby's work spans clinical care, education, quality improvement, and scholarship, with a focus on building equitable, coordinated transition models that support patients, caregivers, and providers across the lifespan. This award highlights her national leadership in the field and her ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for transition-age youth and adults with complex needs.