MARTINS FERRY — Daniel Dunmyer, president and CEO of East Ohio Regional Hospital, said Thursday the facility’s emergency room may not close tonight.

“We’re still trying to work a deal to keep (EORH) open. … By noon (today) if I don’t have any answers then we will have to start making some sadder decisions,” Dunmyer said.

EORH’s owner, Alecto Healthcare Services of Irvine, California, started telling employees on Aug. 7 that because of financial reasons, it would close both Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and EORH in Martins Ferry within 60 to 90 days. After that, officials sometimes cited Oct. 7 as the date both hospitals would close.

However, less than a month later the company closed OVMC. That move came earlier than expected on Sept. 4.

“We have it forecasted because of staffing and patients that it will end or suspend sometime soon,” Dunmyer said of service at the EORH emergency room. “Friday has been talked about, but we’re still working to keep it open. It could be (today) or Monday.

“It’s frustrating. Not knowing is more difficult than knowing. We’re trying to keep it going.”

Dunmyer said it is better to keep the facility open if a deal for another company to purchase the facility is to be struck. The potential deal being talked about with another company, he noted, would also take at least two weeks to finalize if it does happen.

“We have to be careful. There are so many involved,” he added.

He noted that any talks being conducted about the sale of EORH do not include Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling.