Money for Prince George's Hospital

The Prince George's Hospital Center and other county health facilities have received $5.6.million in state and county money, the latest funding in a public effort to stave off the collapse of the long-troubled hospital system.

Dimensions Healthcare System, the nonprofit company that runs the center and the four other county health facilities, received the payment within the past week -- half from the county and half from the state.

The county and the state are scheduled to pay about $24 million each in quarterly installments over two years. A seven-member hospital authority has been appointed to review bids from new health-care companies interested in taking over management from Dimensions and ownership from the county.

Suzanne Almalel, a spokeswoman for Dimensions, said the funding arrived just in time, as dollars had been dwindling at Dimensions.

"We were running a little short, so this is perfect timing," she said. "It will prevent us from losing a beat."

The company has been losing money for years and has survived on , surviving with regular infusions of public cash.