David Dodson, CHT
Dialysis Technician, Children's Mercy Hospital
This award was established in honor of Carol Mattix, a home dialysis training nurse of the last century who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of kidney patients.
David Dodson is currently a Dialysis Technician specializing in Pediatric Dialysis. David has been a Dialysis Technician for 30 years. He started his career in adult care at St. Lukes Hospital in Kansas City. While at Saint Lukes he was able to work with all the children that were sent over for procedures from Children’s Mercy Hospital. David was hired at Children’s Mercy Hospital by his former manager from St. Lukes to become head Dialysis Technician at Children’s Mercy. For the last 15 years at Children’s Mercy, David has had multiple responsibilities. He is instrumental in maintaining the water system at the hospital. This involves culturing and LaL collection as well as disinfection to make sure that the water used in the dialysis treatments is safe for children. With this knowledge, David has been able to set up and maintain a portable water loop that the hospital has used to make a mobile dialysis room at a camp outside of the hospital. This has allowed many children, due to their sickness, to attend a summer camp during their school break. David, along with two other employees, was published showing a cannulation technique called buttonhole. Their finding showed that with the technique that they have demonstrated where they are able to completely remove exit site infections from their cannulation sites. David also is the first introduction to dialysis for many of the incoming fellows at Children’s Mercy. He is one of the first stops for all the incoming doctors to see how their orders are followed and what results they can expect. Dave would not have had the growth necessary to ensure excellent care for his patients if it was not for the instrumental teams he has worked with, and the teachings of the physicians and nurses he has collaborated with along the way.
