STAR LAKE — Clifton-Fine Hospital has selected Samaritan Medical Center as a preferred partner, according to a Clifton-Fine news release Thursday.

Negotiations to complete the deal are scheduled to finish this summer.

“In the current healthcare environment, hospitals — particularly rural providers like Clifton-Fine Hospital — are facing unprecedented change. To be successful, hospitals must work together to cut costs, navigate an increasingly complex web of regulations, recruit physicians and deliver optimal and measurable quality of care,” said Walter Todd, chairman of the Clifton-Fine board, in the release. “This announcement is the culmination of many months of strategic planning in an effort to respond to growing challenges. We have embarked on this journey with SMC to ensure that we remain a strong and vibrant hospital for the benefit of our patients, physicians, staff and community.”

Thomas H. Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan, said in the release that hospitals must collaborate instead of compete.

“As the smallest hospital in New York State, Clifton-Fine Hospital is to be commended for its forward-thinking approach to ensure its ability to overcome these challenges and thrive — for the good of the many tight-knit communities it serves,” he said.

The partnership was completed through healthcare consulting company Stroudwater Associates.

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