ROGERS — Northwest Medical Health System is continuing an expansion program with plans to open a clinic in Rogers later this year.

“We plan to open a primary care clinic in September or October,” said Pat Driscoll, Northwest Medical’s assistant marketing and business development director.

The large-scale development plan for the 15,888-square-foot clinic at 2000 S. 42nd St. is scheduled to go to the Planning Commission next week for review. The building will front 42nd Street, but will also have an entrance off New Hope Road. The clinic is located about a quarter-mile from Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.

Northwest Medical has hospitals in Springdale, Bentonville and the Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Johnson.

“As the population continues to grow in Northwest Arkansas, so does the need for an expanded health system,” Driscoll said.

Northwest recently opened a clinic in Bella Vista to make it more convenient for patients.

“Convenience and reduced travel are some of the reasons we are opening more clinics,” Driscoll said. “People don’t realize how important convenience is until they have to travel a long distance to get the medical care they need.”

There will be two internal medicine doctors and one cardiologist working at the Rogers clinic and other specialties will be rotated from Bentonville to the clinic as needed, Driscoll said.

The opening of Northwest Medical clinic will be the first time a clinic attached to a hospital system other than Mercy has moved in the Rogers.

“We agree that medical services need to expand to keep pace with growth and that’s exactly what we are doing,” said Jessica Eldred, Mercy Hospital spokeswoman.

Mercy medical system officials have plans to open a 30,000-square-foot specialty clinic in Bella Vista later this year. The clinic will offer urgent care, a cardiologist, pediatrician and imaging services, Eldred said.

“We also plan to open a family clinic on Second Street in downtown Rogers later this year,” Eldred said. The downtown clinic is still evolving and it’s not known what specialties will be offered.

Greg Hines, Rogers mayor, said having a clinic downtown is great for the city.

“I think it’s awesome. Our population on the east side of town is growing and this clinic will fill a need in this area. I’m excited when a health care system wants to invest in downtown,” Hines said.

Mercy officials conducted a study about a year ago to determine what the community needed in the way of health care, Eldred said.

Northwest Arkansas is developing a growing medical community. Eldred and Driscoll said they expect the development to continue.

“Our area is diverse in culture and service. I think the medical community will continue to grow and add more specialties as the needs arrive. I wouldn’t be surprised if Northwest Arkansas didn’t rival Little Rock as the premiere medical community in the state in 15 or 20 years,” Eldred said.