Sale of Cincinnati hospital delayed until March

The sale of Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati to a subsidiary of Catholic Healthcare Partners will be postponed until March 1 in response to a request by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, according to a spokesman for the hospital's owner, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.

Mercy Health Partners agreed in July to acquire the 209-bed hospital in a $180 million deal expected to close as early as Jan. 4. The sale would withdraw the hospital from the dwindling Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, and remaining alliance member University Hospital has complained that the loss of Jewish Hospital could hamper its ability to provide safety-net services.

In a letter to Jewish Hospital dated Dec. 18, Cordray asked that the parties to the transaction allow more time for mediation that “could lead to a resolution which would minimize any harmful effects on the public that may result from Jewish Hospital's potential departure.”

The alliance lost three hospitals following a protracted legal dispute. Another, Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton, Ohio, gave notice of its intention to leave in August (Print subscription required).

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