In the very early 1970s, 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 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.
Even in 1970, there were no dialysis facilities outside Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Dr. Hull began to explore options to replace the soon to be closed Public Health supported facility at the old Parkland Hospital (Woodlawn). The medical school and hospital advised him that he would have to seek outside funding. He began discussions with the then developing National Medical Care (NMC) in Boston, to build and manage a dialysis facility, resulting in the construction of the 5th limited care facility in the U.S., which opened in June 1971 as Southwestern Dialysis Center (SWDC).
During the past thirty-five years the physicians of DNA have been, and continue to be, involved in all aspects of nephrology. They have active practices in all of the major Dallas hospitals. In most hospitals, a member of DNA serves as Chairman of the Nephrology Department. Additionally, the physicians have office practices throughout the city. Actively participating in the nationwide nephrology community, several DNA physicians have served as presidents of associations: two as presidents of the American Society of Transplant Physicians, one as president of the national Renal Physicians Association, one as president of the National Kidney Foundation, and one as President of the Texas Transplant Society. Several have also held other offices and chaired and/or served on committees in these and other associations, too numerous to list here.
 

Since its inception, Dallas Nephrology Associates (DNA) has actively supported all transplantation.  Dr. Alan Hull was co-founder of both DNA and the transplant program at Parkland Memorial Hospital.  In 1979, DNA, under the guidance of Dr. Pedro Vergne-Marini, developed Dallas Transplant Institute, a free standing outpatient clinic serving multiple transplant hospitals and the Kidney Transplant program at Methodist Medical Center.  In 1985, a kidney transplant program was initiated at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) by Baylor transplant surgeon Dr. Goran Klintmalm and DNA’s Dr. Martin White, directors of the program, with Dr. Michael Emmett as Associate Medical Director.  In 1986 Dr. Thomas Gonwa was recruited by DNA as a Transplant Physician for the BUMC program, and made significant contributions to the success of BUMC’s program. Currently, DNA is involved in the medical care of kidney, liver, heart, and pancreas transplant programs throughout the city.  Dallas Transplant Institute, developed and staffed by DNA, continues to be one of the largest, most sophisticated outpatient transplant programs in the world with over 2000 transplanted patients, a large pre-transplant department, and its own Medicare approved lab.
DNA has a very active research program and has published in excess of five hundred papers and chapters.  Many of the DNA physicians have teaching positions at Southwestern Medical School, holding professorships and directorships at all of the major teaching hospitals in Dallas.
DNA has developed an international reputation for excellence. Its physicians are guest speakers/lecturers both nationally and internationally. This has occurred while continuing to have optimal patient care as the primary focus of the organization, and has been accomplished with the support of dedicated, professional staff: administrative, clinical, mechanical, data-processing, and other support services. In June 2007 there were over 50 physicians and 325 employees, many of whom have been with the company over 20 years; some, more than 30 years. DNA continues as a leader in the Nephrology community!