Salem Co. hospital to be sold

SALEM - The Memorial Hospital of Salem County announced Tuesday that the 126-bed hospital will be sold to Prime Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit based in Ontario, California. Pending regulatory approval, the sale is expected to be complete by the middle of 2016.

The agreement includes the hospital's outpatient services and a commitment from the new owners to hire "substantially all" of its 400 employees with their same positions, pay and seniority. Staff privileges for more than 200 doctors on the hospital's medical staff will also remain unchanged.

Prime Healthcare Services owns 38 hospitals in 11 states, including St. Mary's General Hospital in Passaic. Seven of its hospitals are members of the nonprofit, Prime Healthcare Foundation.

Financial terms were not disclosed.