The board of Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover Foxcroft will vote Wednesday night on whether to merge with Northern Light Health.
Mayo CEO Marie Vienneau says the independent hospital has had operating losses since 2010.
"It's important for rural hospitals to find larger partners that can help to sustain us during times that are tough," Vienneau says. "And we know that reimbursements are not going to get better. In fact, the reality is that they will probably get worse."
Vienneau says it's increasingly difficult for rural hospitals to remain independent. "We have about 60 percent of our patient care is delivered to patients that are on Medicare or Medicaid combined, and we do not make money on either one of those payers."
If the board approves the merger, it will trigger a series of steps that will likely take months before the final merger can take place.
