Doctors building dialysis facility.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

A group of kidney doctors is preparing to build a new dialysis center in Eugene to help meet the growing demand for the blood-filtering treatment.

Construction on the 12,000-square-foot building, to be located next to the U.S. Post Office on River Avenue, should begin within the next two or three weeks and take about nine months to complete, according to Dr. Matt Purvis, a partner in Eugene-Springfield Nephrology Associates.

Fresenius Medical Care North America, the U.S. division of a German company that is the largest dialysis service provider in the world, will lease and operate the building, Purvis said.

The name of the center will be changed from Oregon Dialysis Services to Fresenius Medical Care Eugene.

The new building and land it sits on is valued at $2.35 million, which does not include the cost of finishing the interior and equipping it, which will be borne by Fresenius, Purvis said.

The new facility will have 24 dialysis stations and replace the 14-station clinic operated by Fresenius in the Physicians and Surgeons North building, next to Sacred Heart Medical Center, which serves 84 patients.

Fresenius also operates Qualicenters Eugene Springfield at 1144 Gateway Loop, a 17-station dialysis center that serves 99 patients.

"The problem is we do not have enough space for dialysis patients in Eugene and Springfield," Purvis said. "Both units are full."

That means some patients have to undergo dialysis at Sacred Heart while they wait for an outpatient slot to open up, Purvis said.

Purvis attributes the increase in need for dialysis services to general population growth and the growing number of retirees.

Older people generally have a higher incidence of kidney failure, and therefore need dialysis.

Kidneys rid the blood of water and waste products, and people need dialysis to filter their blood when their kidneys stop working. They need treatment three days a week, with each session lasting about four hours.

Diabetic disease is the most common cause of renal failure, followed by high blood pressure. Nephrologists specialize in treating kidney disease nonsurgically.

The physicians of Eugene-Springfield Nephrology Associates serve as medical directors of the Fresenius dialysis centers in Eugene, Springfield and Coos Bay.

The practice now has four physicians and expects to add a fifth this summer, Purvis said.

The doctors formed a limited liability corporation, River Avenue Properties LLC, to build and own the new building.

Purvis said he expects his practice to replace the Springfield and Coos Bay dialysis centers in the next few years, and may build a third center in the metro area.