Prince George’s County and Maryland officials are behind on their first $2.8 million payment to the county’s beleaguered hospital system, despite state law that required each to pay up by July 1.

The state legislature passed a law requiring the county and the state to each contribute $12 million a year to keep the Prince George’s Hospital System up and running as the search continues for new hospital operators.

Dimensions Healthcare, the current operator, has been cited repeatedly for mismanaging the county-owned hospitals — Prince George’s Hospital Center and Laurel Regional Hospital, which have come close to shutting down multiple times as costs have outpaced funding.

Prince George’s County spokesman John Erzen acknowledged the tardiness, saying the county is putting the payment together. He said he did not know when it would arrive.

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“Right now we have a lot going on with the budget,” Erzen said. “That is a high priority, it’s a commitment we have made to make the payment and we will be doing it.”

Shaun Adamec, spokesman for Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, said the comptroller’s office was scheduled to wire state funds Friday. He added that he doesn’t think the state is technically late on payments since the agreement became official about three weeks ago.

“The process didn’t begin until the [memo of understanding] was signed,” Adamec said. “That triggers installments that had been agreed on earlier but not activated until then. It takes a little time to get it all up and running.”

Prince George’s Del. Doyle Niemann, a Democrat who represents Prince George’s Hospital’s home of Cheverly, said he did not see the tardiness as a sign the state and county will eschew their financial commitments.

“Bureaucracies are bureaucracies and they don’t always do things when they are supposed to do them,” Niemann said. “Nobody is too worried about it yet, I think everybody’s committed to making this happen.”

kmiller@dcexaminer.com