Health care east of the Anacostia River just may be seeing healthier days soon.

Two unnamed groups have submitted offers to buy Greater Southeast Community Hospital from Arizona-based Doctors Community Healthcare, according to councilmember Marion Barry. The current owners of Greater Southeast Community Hospital have owned the hospital since 1999 when they purchased the hospital out of bankruptcy for $22.25 million.

Since then, the hospital has still experienced financial and medical crises. From 2000 to 2002 while still in bankruptcy, the owners spent $675,000 in lobbying expenses and candidate contributions for city politicians. Whatever and whoever they were lobbying, the hospital still has had its issues. The hospital had been stripped of its national accreditation, dropped by medical insurance companies and was being investigated for six “preventable” patient deaths between 2002 and 2003.

The local candidates to purchase the hospital are thought to be George Washington University Hospital and its parent company, Universal Health Services, and MedStar Health, which owns Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center. Maybe having local owners will benefit the improvement of the hospital, assuming one of them or someone local is bidding on the hospital.