Acquisition of Central Maine Healthcare gets conditional OK from Maine regulators

Sign outside Central Maine Medical Center

File photo Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston is part of Central Maine Healthcare.

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Maine regulators have approved plans by a California nonprofit to acquire Central Maine Healthcare as long as several conditions are met, including a two-year timeline for completing the deal.

The conditional approval, from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, clears the path for Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Foundation to gain a foothold in Maine. The foundation operates 14 not-for-profit hospitals in six states as part of the nationwide Prime Healthcare system.

Central Maine Healthcare, led by CEO Steve Littleson, serves Maine's central, western and midcoast regions.

Under an agreement announced earlier this year, Prime Healthcare Foundation is set to become the sole owner of all Central Maine Healthcare services and facilities, which will retain their current names and local leadership.

The acquisition includes Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Bridgton and Rumford hospitals, Rumford Community Home, Bolster Heights Residential Care in Auburn, the Maine College of Health Professions in Lewiston, Central Maine Healthcare's Cancer Care Center in Lewiston and more than 40 physician practices.

File photo

Steve Littleson

At the time the deal was announced, Littleson said that becoming part of Prime Healthcare Foundation will give Central Maine Healthcare "the capability and the resources to attract and retain top talent, improve quality and access to care and address unmet health care needs across central Maine."

Approval terms

In a Nov. 21 letter to the chief financial officer of Prime Healthcare Foundation approving the deal, Maine DHHS Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes requires the new owner to provide the state with audited financial statements for the first three years.

Prime must also continue to operate Rumford and Bridgton hospitals as either critical access or general acute care hospitals and Central Maine Medical Center as a general acute care hospital for at least five years.

Prime is also prohibited from making any material reductions to or changes in the mix or level of essential services offered at Central Maine Healthcare for at least five years and required to maintain trauma hospital certification or accreditation for at least a year, according to the two-page letter.

Gagné-Holmes also stipulates that the transaction be completed by November 2027.