The New York Department of Health granted Massena (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital a certificate of need, allowing the hospital to establish a nonprofit corporation to privatize and to help pay off its $5.8 million debt by the end of January, according to the Watertown Daily Times.
The state public health committee and the health planning committee approved the DOH's decision at their meeting Thursday.
The certificate of need will allow the hospital to privatize ownership by setting up a nonprofit organization to take over ownership of the hospital from the town of Massena, according to the article.
The hospital received funding to privatize from several state programs. A requirement in receiving the funds was for the hospital to affiliate with another facility.
In July, Massena Memorial Hospital CEO Robert Wolleben said the hospital solicited 17 different health organizations for a possible affiliation. In July, the hospital narrowed down the list of possible affiliates to three organizations, according to the article. Officials have not released the names of those organizations.