The University of Maryland Medical System and LifeBridge Health are among five suitors vying for a partnership with St. Joseph Medical Center, though a deal will likely be complicated by the Towson hospital's poor financial situation. St. Joseph has had a sharp drop in revenue and patient admissions since 2009, when allegations of unnecessary coronary procedures and a separate kickback scheme were made public. A deal with St Joseph "would certainly take some serious discussion on how we try to mitigate those losses," E. Albert Reece, dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said Friday.