It was only a matter of time, really.

The Post reports that the District has finally taken control of United Medical Center (UMC), purchasing the financially-struggling hospital at auction this morning for $20 million. The sale is just another chapter in the long, troubled history of the District’s largest hospital east of the Anacostia River. No other offers for the facility were made. The auction apparently took mere minutes at the Wilson Building this morning, and the facility will now be fully controlled by a non-profit corporate board created by the city.

UMC — formerly known as Greater Southeast Community Hospital — is a 184-bed facility located at 1310 Southern Avenue SE. It is the primary health-care destination for many residents of Wards 7 and 8.

As recently as May, the District had abandoned plans to takeover the hospital, which it had owned a share of after investing $100 million in taxpayer money to modernize the building and its services in 2007. UMC had reportedly been bleeding about $1 million a month and also had sizable unpaid bills and tax debts when the District previously abandoned takeover plans.

Now, those debts and losses are the city’s problem.