The boards of Mercy Health Network and Central Community Hospital in Elkader have signed a letter of intent for Mercy to acquire the hospital and fully integrate it into Mercy Health Network. The agreement is pending the results of a mutual due diligence period, with the official ownership change set for July 1. The agreement is aimed at providing long-term sustainability for the 25-bed critical care hospital, as well as stability for the Elkader community, officials said in a release. “We have been in a successful management relationship with Mercy Health Network for the past 17 years, and aligning ourselves now as an owned affiliate strengthens this relationship and takes our partnership to a new level,” said Robert Bodensteiner, president of the CCH board of directors. “As a hospital, we are making this decision from a position of strength, so the board is confident this is the right move for the hospital and the community.” Based in West Des Moines, Mercy Health Network owns and operates eight medical centers and other services in six major markets in Iowa, and community hospitals in seven other locations in Iowa and surrounding states. It also has 27 affiliated organizations, and a joint-venture surgical hospital in South Dakota.