In April, News 12 reported that U.S. Renal Care closed a dialysis center in Pelham Parkway, leaving behind dozens of angry patients. Now, another dialysis center in the Bronx has closed – DaVita Dialysis in Allerton at 2554 White Plains Road.

DaVita told News 12 in a statement that it has been notifying patients about the closure, but some News 12 spoke to on Thursday say they didn’t find out until seeing the sign on the door that said the facility was permanently closed.

When News 12 contacted the number posted on the sign, guest services employees said that the location was in fact open. Upon further investigation, DaVita guest services told News 12 over the phone that the location would be closed on Sept. 30.

The statement from DaVita Dialysis read in part: “Due to evolving care needs in the area, we decided to merge Allerton Dialysis with nearby DaVita centers so we can continue caring for patients across the Bronx well into the future. It is not a decision we took lightly, and nothing is more important to us than our patients’ well-being. We notified all patients in writing in June, and we worked closely with them to find the most convenient option for their continued care.”

Some dialysis patients attend treatment multiple times a week, sometimes for hours at a time. A study in the National Library of Medicine found that “travel distance to care has been associated with patient‐reported quality of life, willingness to comply with treatment regimen, and risk of complications and death.”

The building owner, Jonathan Sopher, said that he was not notified of the closure and that DaVita was signed onto a lease that would not end until 2027.

“I'm not permitted to rent it out to any other tenant until 2027.” Sopher said. “It's going to sit, not only empty, but if you look in the window, it's fully furnished and ready to accept patients.”

If you are a patient of the location on White Plains Road who needs to be relocated to another facility, you can call 800-400-8331.