FORT WORTH, Texas – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is collaborating with a national renal management group to establish a chronic care outpatient dialysis facility on the center’s Cultural District campus.

The facility, which will be known as The Renal Center of Fort Worth, LLLP, is being created by a partnership between Renal Ventures Management, LLC, of Golden, Colo., and Dallas nephrologists to service the medical needs of the chronic renal population in the Fort Worth area. The new facility will also allow for educational opportunities for the UNT Health Science Center’s medical students and residents.

Plans call for a 16-chair dialysis facility in the health science center’s currently existing Office of Clinical Trials building. The facility is expected to eventually serve 48 dialysis patients per day.

Renovation of the building began this month, and the facility is expected to open in August. The management company, Renal Ventures Management, LLC, is overseeing the building renovation and will be leasing the space from the health science center.

Dr. Ira Epstein, chief of the nephrology division in the department of internal medicine at the health science center, will serve as medical director of the facility, which will be staffed by Renal Ventures Management, LLC.

"Diabetes is the number one cause of renal failure, and 50 to 60 percent of all diabetes patients must have dialysis treatments," said Dr. Epstein of the health science center. "With this location, the family members of dialysis patients will be surrounded by Cultural District attractions while their loved ones are receiving treatments, making access to care more convenient."

The facility will allow for the development of student rotation and residency programs to support the educational mission of the health science center. The development of future education, research and patient care programs will be on-going, including plans for the creation of a satellite transplant center and clinical trials for nephrology-specific research.

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