Medical center hopes public will help negotiations for hospital merger.

Publication: Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Kennebec Journal

Byline: Chuin-Wei Yap

Oct. 22--WATERVILLE -- Inland Hospital hopes the state and the community would help to break what they portrayed as deadlocked negotiations between Inland and MaineGeneral Medical Center toward a single hospital for Waterville, Inland officials told the Morning Sentinel editorial board Thursday.

MaineGeneral, they said, could play a role in this hospital, but gave no indication that discussions with MaineGeneral would restart.

When asked for his comment Thursday, MaineGeneral's chief executive Scott B. Bullock said there were already plans for him to meet Dan Coffey, interim chief executive of Inland's parent Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, next Thursday to continue discussing the issue.

Bullock questioned the way Inland had been publicly portraying MaineGeneral's actions.

At the editorial board meeting Thursday, Inland officials cast the two hospitals as having a difference of visions.

"Our vision is of one brand-new hospital; theirs is continuing to rehabilitate old buildings," said James...

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