GREENVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A south Alabama city has signed a deal to buy its local hospital from a Tennessee company.

Quorum Health of Brentwood, Tennessee, said Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell the 72-bed L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital in Greenville to a city health care authority.

No price was disclosed. The sale is supposed to be finished before year's end.

Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon earlier announced the plan for the city to buy the 200-employee hospital and for the University of Alabama at Birmingham to manage it.

McClendon said Quorum has been trying to sell the hospital for some time. The company, spun off by Community Health Systems, has heavy debt and is losing money.

In March, Quorum sold a 60-bed hospital in Centre for $4.3 million.