By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Massena Memorial Hospital officials have narrowed their search for an affiliate to two possible networks, but the CEO says he isn’t ready to name them in public.

“That’ll be a major topic of conversation at the board meeting on Monday,” MMH CEO told the Town Council on Wednesday. “I’m hoping the board will give us direction on which we should be talking to more substantively.

“I’m hoping after Monday’s board meeting I’ll be able to make reference to both or one.”

The only clue he gave to the potential affiliates’ identities was a vague geographic reference.

“There’s one on the western part of the state and one on the eastern part of the state,” he said.

In addition to pursuing an affiliate, MMH is also trying to get non-profit status and severe their ties as a town-owned municipal hospital.

Wolleben said they are preparing an application to the Internal Revenue Service that he thinks they could approve by year’s end.

“I’m told we can get all that material in the next several weeks. It’s possible the IRS could rule on our non-profit application by the end of the year,” he said.

Earlier this year, MMH sent out requests for proposals to 17 larger healthcare systems. They received five that fit what they are looking for and have narrowed that down to two. In December, Wolleben said he was hoping they would have been able to narrow that to one by January.