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Proposed Mayo Regional Hospital, Northern Light Health Merger Faces Legal Challenge

Thirty-three Maine residents and the town of Cambridge have filed a lawsuit in Somerset County Superior Court to block a proposed merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health.

Sam Katz of Dover Foxcroft, one of the plaintiffs, says Mayo’s board has proceeded with the merger without properly involving the 13 communities that own the independent hospital.

“I think that the public should have been given more information and been allowed to view all the information for themselves and come to their own conclusion,” he says.

Katz says officials also used taxpayer money for a public relations campaign.

“It’s a pretty big deal, as far as I’m concerned, when there’s a public entity that’s using public money to sway public opinion, instead of giving them all the information and allowing them to come to their own conclusion,” he says.

The lawsuit is seeking an injunction and temporary restraining order. Mayo Hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but earlier this year hospital officials said the merger was necessary because the hospital has had operating losses since 2010.