PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — State leaders marked a nonprofit’s purchase of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital on Friday.

Gov. Dan McKee, Attorney General Peter Neronha, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi and others said in a release last week that Centurion Foundation received signed bond purchase agreements sufficient to finance and close on its purchase of Roger Williams and Fatima.

Centurion officials said the bonds closed Friday, ending the years-long uncertainty for the two hospitals.

“I can’t thank enough the employees and the staff and the nurses and everyone that stayed to see this organization through and to see the new future that we’re gonna set for this place. I also want to thank all the state leaders here today. They were collaborative,” CEO of Centurion Ben Mingle said.

McKee celebrated the purchase at the press conference on Friday.

“It’s a good day,” he said. “We made this happen because, one, the health care that these two hospitals provide are needed in our community. And two, we want to make sure we keep people working here to provide that health care.”

Officials said hospitals will run in a not-for-profit model.

“It’s tremendous losses in the past, but running it on a not-for-profit basis and doing the right things, we think we can get it back to break-even in the first year,” Mingle said.

Mingle said healthcare is a constantly changing business, and that his team will work hard to change and make sure that the hospitals are sustainable.

“I think you’re going to see investment in the equipment that’s being utilized to provide the care and provide the services,” he said. ” “Hopefully, you’re going to see some relief on the staff about the certainty of their future and that’s going to help them be able to provide better care to the patients.”

The Georgia-based Centurion Foundation was announced as the buyer three years ago, but it had trouble securing financing.

Centurion is taking it over the hospitals from Prospect Medical Holdings, a for-profit company that filed for bankruptcy last year and threatened to close them if the state didn’t take over.