GW Hospital will soon join the 4 percent of hospitals nationwide that perform kidney transplants, officials announced Friday.

The hospital, managed by Universal Health Services, will search for a surgical director this year for the new institute that will perform evaluations, surgeries and after-care on patients needing kidney transplants.

Barry Wolfman, who became CEO and managing director of the hospital in March, said the GW Kidney Transplant Institute will help the 10-year-old hospital develop its healthcare offerings.

“We believe GW Hospital is uniquely positioned to provide the comprehensive care and specialty services required to care for transplant surgery patients,” he said in a release.

Only about 4 percent of hospitals in the country perform transplant surgeries. Area hospitals like Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital already do so.

The hospital is still undergoing regulatory approval for the center, according to the release.