For Immediate Release August 9, 2021
Contact: Nichole Jefferson, President Home Dialyzors United
Phone: 469.531.3344
Email: njefferson@homedialzorsunited.org
Home Dialyzors United President, Nichole Jefferson, Announces Appointment of Nieltje Gedney to Executive Director
Dallas, TX. Home Dialyzors United (HDU) is excited to announce the appointment of Nieltje Gedney as its Executive Director. Ms. Gedney has been a member of the HDU board since 2015, serving as both Treasurer and Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. Her lifelong career journey makes her a perfect fit to assume this role and to further the goals of HDU.
Her previous experience includes an extensive background in advocacy, having worked to promote the Violence Against Women Act in the early 90’s, and subsequently worked for the Department of Justice, VAWGO, the Office of Victims of Crime, Juvenile Justice, The Urban Institute, and Development Services Group in consultant capacities.
Ms. Gedney is not only a passionate advocate for those on home dialysis but also personally knows the challenges and barriers they encounter. After being diagnosed with kidney disease over twenty years ago, Ms. Gedney has been a solo home hemodialyzor for the past eight years.
Since joining the HDU Board of Directors five years ago, Ms. Gedney has been instrumental in leading HDU's growth and was appointed Executive Director unanimously by the Board on June 1, 2021. Board President Nichole Jefferson states that "HDU has been growing in membership, social media, advocacy and policy for the last five years, to the point where we needed a full-time director to oversee the daily operations. HDU will look to her to guide us in creating goals and objectives that impact the home dialysis community. Ms. Gedney embraces the challenging opportunities of exchanging knowledge and listening to the patient voice. Working in tandem with the HDU Board of Directors, we anticipate that she will change the status quo for the home dialysis community.”
In addition, while on the Board, Nieltje Gedney was responsible for initiating HDU’s Professional Advisory Board, comprised of industry professionals who guide HDU policy and are invaluable to HDU’s overall mission to provide education to the home dialysis community. The Board recently appointed John Bayton as Strategic Operations Director to oversee the Professional Advisory Board and together they are formulating a 5 Year Strategic Plan. Earlier this year they launched the Decade of Home Dialysis and are planning to implement many new programs over the next few years, including a Patient Advisory Board.
“It seems ironic that my last career move is in the field of dialysis, especially since I spent over 20 years avoiding it,” says Ms. Gedney. “I know from personal experience that, with the right dialysis treatment, many patients with ESRD (and their families and care partners) can lead a normal life, enjoying family and friends, and pursuing employment, education, volunteer, and leisure activities.”
Home Dialyzors United (HDU) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the only dialysis patient group dedicated solely to home dialysis. Our mission is to inspire, inform, and advocate for an extraordinary quality of life for the home dialysis community. As a patient organization HDU represents the home dialysis community by supporting education, home dialysis, innovation and technology improvements, and kidney transplantation, all of which will ultimately improve long term outcomes for dialysis patients.
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