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PRIVACY NOTICE

In the very early 1970’s it became apparent to physicians in the U.S. that hemodialysis was an effective technique for keeping patients alive who had kidney failure.  Southwestern Medical School and the Dallas County Hospital District (Parkland Memorial Hospital), under the guidance of Dr. Alan Hull, had participated in a federally funded program to determine if patients could indeed survive for long periods of time with this procedure.  At this time, there were no dialysis facilities in Dallas.  Dr. Hull began to explore options in constructing and managing such a facility that would provide long-term outpatient care to patients with end-stage renal disease. 

In 1971, Dr. Hull and fellow Nephrologists opened the first dialysis facility in Dallas, “Southwestern Dialysis Center”.  In 1973, a group of four Nephrologists formed Dallas Nephrology Associates (DNA).  Shortly thereafter, in 1975, the second dialysis facility in Dallas opened, “Dallas Kidney Disease Center.  At the time this was the largest dialysis center in the world, with 53 dialysis stations.

Over the next thirty years, DNA became the largest Nephrology practice group in the U.S.  Some of the most highly trained and qualified Nephrologists from all over the United States became a part of this progressive group.  They understood the vision and the possibilities of health care delivery.  The physicians of DNA have been very involved in all of the major aspects of Nephrology, including complicated renal related diseases, prevention of progression of kidney disease, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients, as well as kidney transplant patients.  They have active consultation practices in all of the major hospitals in Dallas, many having chairmanship and leadership responsibilities in the Nephrology departments.  The physician group has four office practice locations located throughout the city, and two locations for accounting, billing, transcription, human resources, support services, and other administrative type functions.

Dialysis facilities were eventually built throughout the Dallas-Metroplex area.  These facilities are owned by Fresenius Medical Care, with DNA physicians serving as Medical Directors and staff physicians of those facilities.  

Simultaneously, DNA physicians assisted in the initial development of the transplantation program at Parkland Memorial Hospital in the early 1970’s. They then developed the Methodist Medical Center transplant program, which performed their first kidney transplant in 1981.  DNA physicians also serve as Medical Directors in the Baylor University Medical Center transplantation program which opened a few years later.  The Baylor transplant program expanded to include kidney transplants performed at Baylor Grapevine Hospital in 1999 and is now adding Baylor All-Saints in Fort Worth, where DNA will provide nephrologic support. Medical City Dallas Hospital expanded their transplant program to include kidney transplants in 1999, with DNA physicians being Medical Directors of that program also.  Additionally, DNA physicians participate in immunosuppressive and medical management in the liver and heart transplant programs throughout the city. 

Dallas Transplant Institute (DTI), owned and operated by DNA, opened in June 1981.  Dallas Transplant Institute provides one of the most complete and up-to-date transplant programs in the world.  Patients who are being considered for a kidney transplant are evaluated in that facility through the Pre-Transplant Department and, following a kidney transplant, patients are provided with follow-up care in DTI.  DTI has all of the laboratory, imaging, and support services that are unique to the care of a patient who will undergo or has undergone transplantation.

Additionally, DNA has a very active Research Department.  The physicians in this group have published in excess of five hundred papers and textbook chapters.  The Research Department has a full-time staff devoted to research projects.  Many of the DNA physicians take a very active role in research.  They have teaching positions at Southwestern Medical School, holding professorships, and also teach at all of the major teaching hospitals in Dallas.  Furthermore, hardly a week passes without a DNA physician speaking nationally or internationally at scientific symposia.

Dallas Nephrology Associates has been able to accomplish this reputation for excellence with the support of a loyal and supportive non-physician staff, some of whom have been with DNA since their beginning in 1971 and others who have been staff members ten to twenty years.