The operator of East Liverpool City Hospital now has a partner to help rescue it from financial issues.

Prime Healthcare Foundation announced on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of River Valley Health Partners, which includes East Liverpool City Hospital in East Liverpool, OH, River Valley Physicians, LLC, and Ohio Valley Home Health Services, Inc.

According to a news release, the entities will retain their not-for-profit status as members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, an affiliate of Prime Healthcare Services.

When plans for the merger were announced last year, Prime Healthcare said the agreement included a commitment to maintain inpatient services, strengthen physician recruitment, hire substantially all employees, and to provide a multimillion dollar capital commitment over the next five years.

Humility of Mary Health Partners, which operates St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown scrapped plans in 2014 to merge operations with River City Health Partners.

In June, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded East Liverpool City Hospital's bond rating by two notches because of what it said was the hospital's inability to complete the merger with Mercy Health, increased acceleration risk of bank-supported debt, and very high operating cash flow losses including large physician-related losses.

At the time, Moody's said the rating could go up if the hospital merges with a stronger partner to guarantee or assume the debt.

This past summer East Liverpool City Hospital discontinued obstetric and pediatric services is part of an effort to "right size" operations.

East Liverpool City Hospital is a 152-bed acute care hospital.  River Valley Physicians comprises eight primary care and specialty offices.

Together with Ohio Valley Home Health Services, Inc., River Valley Health Partners serves a population of more than 115,000 from throughout the tri-state area of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

With the addition of River Valley Health Partners, Prime Healthcare includes 42 hospitals in 14 states with nearly 42,000 employees and physicians.

Eleven of the hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c) 3 public charity.