BOSTON (WHDH) - Local hospitals owned by Steward Health Care are being transferred to new hands – a change already reflected in signs outside the facilities.
Local leaders and workers expressed their optimism moving forward as the long-awaited transfer comes and the embattled former CEO of Steward finds himself in another fight with Congress.
“Today, these hospitals are freed from Steward’s greed and mismanagement, and start fresh with established, reputable and local operators,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “They are ready to not only keep these hospitals going, but to enhance the care they provide and strengthen the communities that depend on them.”
Healey said the process began under a threat of losing seven hospitals in the state, but because of work by invested parties across government and labor, the state preserved access to healthcare for “hundreds of thousands of patients” and saved 13,000 jobs.
“We set out to first and foremost protect the patients who sought care in Steward hospitals, and we now have the right providers in the right place to effectively care for patients,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh said in a statement. “These facilities are essential to providing access to affordable safety-net services in their regions.”
The Texas-based company filed for bankruptcy in May. Since then, an enormous amount of money was spent to make these deals happen, with Massachusetts shelling out $489 million.
Of that, $72 million was used to keep all of Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals running in August and September. The remaining $417 million is helping to transition the sold hospitals to their new owners.
Now-former Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre recently announced he is suing the U.S. Senate committee, including Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, which voted to hold the executive in contempt for his refusal to testify about Steward’s financial troubles.
de la Torre’s team said the vote was a punishment for their client invoking his fifth amendment rights.
“Now, we will continue to work with our partners to improve care and access at these hospitals and support the communities who have been impacted by the closures of Nashoba Valley Medical Center and Carney hospital,” Healey said.
Lawrence General Hospital will now operate both campuses of Holy Family in Haverhill and Methuen, Lifespan is the new operator of Morton and Saint Anne’s, and Boston Medical Center is the new operator for Good Samaritan and St. Elizabeth’s.
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