The state of Maryland and Prince George's County managed to find a temporary solution which will enable hospitals in the county to remain open for two more years while a buyer takes over. The state and the county will each contribute $12 million each year to maintain the health care facilities up and running.

"This is a continuation of what we’ve had for the last few years," said Dunlop Ecker, president of Dimensions Healthcare, the nonprofit that runs the county’s four hospitals, to Examiner.com "It’s a minimum level of support funding."

The seven-member hospital authority will be made up of three members appointed by the county, three appointed by the governor and one member selected by the county's state Senate delegation.

"We have been able to work together to lay the groundwork for creating a world-class hospital in Prince George's County," Gov. Martin O'Malley said. "We'll take a step forward, and we'll also stabilize what we have."

The Prince George's County hospital system is made up of Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly and four other facilities. The hospital has the state's second-busiest trauma center and overall 180,000 patients each year benefit from health care at the institutions.

Finding a buyer for the money-losing hospitals could be tricky. The talks have established that there will be 60 days allowed to determine county and state funding proportions, 90 days to issue a request for proposals from hospital managers, in order to facilitate that in the 2009 legislative session, the bidding process completes. Funding remains in place through 2010, if there isn't anyone in place to take over by then, "we'll extend the payments," County Executive Jack Johnson said, according to Examiner.com