The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland signed a memorandum of understanding to transfer ownership of Portland, Maine-based Saint Joseph's Rehabilitation and Residence to Maine Medical Center, also in Portland, according to a Mainebiz report.
Along with the memorandum, the church and MMC will file a letter of intent with the state HHS department certificate of need unit. Officials said they expect to complete the ownership transfer by the end of the summer, pending regulatory approval.
Officials added Saint Joseph's would continue to operate as a free-standing facility once the transaction closes.
"Our hospital depends on facilities like Saint Joseph's to provide patients with a continuum of quality care," MMC President and CEO Richard Peterson said in a statement. "We can do amazing things for people with today's technology, but not everybody we treat is ready to go home following their care at Maine Medical Center. It's important that those patients are able to get the quality skilled nursing care they need. Additionally, many of our elderly Portland residents require long-term care."