Wesley spokesman Nick Adams told The Wichita Eagle that though an exact date hasn’t been determined yet, the new Research Medical clinic will likely open sometime next month. He said both hospitals think there’s a need in the community for the clinic.

“And a clinic like this is scalable: We can increase or decrease the amount of (physician) time spent in the clinic based on the volume,” Adams said. “We’ve got space and we’ve got infrastructure, and we can have those physicians here as much as needed, kind of a lower-risk business venture.”

Another Kansas City hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital, opened a kidney transplant clinic in Wichita in August.

Nephrologist Dennis Ross of Kansas Nephrology Physicians said another Wichita kidney clinic offers more options for patients needing transplants.

“They have a choice, now,” he said.

He said he didn’t know if there were enough patients to support more than one kidney transplant clinic in the southern Kansas city.

According to its website, Research Medical has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants. Saint Luke’s has performed more than 1,400, its website states.

Saint Luke’s said in a statement its Wichita clinic has seen more than 150 patients since it opened and that one has received a kidney transplant.

“We believe it is part of our mission to serve patients in the communities where they live with life-saving treatment,” the statement said. “We view our partnership with the Wichita community as a privilege, and look forward to being there for many years to come.”