BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Maura Healey on Friday formally seized St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, taking control of the Steward-owned hospital as officials look to preserve health care facilities in Massachusetts.
Healey previously outlined plans to take St. Elizabeth’s by eminent domain as part of a process to install Boston Medical Center as the hospital’s new operator.
Despite continued protests from companies that control the land on which St. Elizabeth’s sits, Healey moved forward with the taking.
“While Apollo [Global Management] continues to put its greed ahead of the health and wellbeing of the people of Massachusetts, we are taking action to make sure St. Elizabeth’s remains open,” Healey said.
By transferring operations at St. Elizabeth’s to Boston Medical Center, Healey said the state will “protect access to care for tens of thousands of patients and save thousands of jobs.”
Steward Health Care has been in the spotlight in recent months as it spiraled into bankruptcy.
Among recent moves, Steward closed two other hospitals at the end of last month after it said it could not find qualified buyers.
State officials have criticized Steward and openly worried about the impact of hospital closures.
With Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer already closing, Healey in mid-August said she would work to preserve remaining hospitals, including St. Elizabeth’s.
Healey helped Steward reach deals to sell five of its six open Massachusetts hospitals. In an offer, the state proposed taking St. Elizabeth’s, the sixth hospital, using eminent domain. The state would pay $4.5 million for the land the hospital sits on.
Landowner Medical Properties Trust and lenders Apollo Global Management and ACREFI CS U pushed back, rejecting the state’s offer and saying it “significantly undervalues the real property underlying St. Elizabeth’s,” according to the State House News Service.
ACREFI CS U threatened to “take any and all actions necessary” if state officials held firm on the $4.5 million price tag for the land.
Healey’s office acknowledged opposition to state plans on Friday. Though they did not outline expected next steps in the process, officials said taking St. Elizabeth’s “will allow the hospital to remain open and serving patients.” Officials did not confirm details about any payments to St. Elizabeth’s landlords.
Healey’s office said transfers of ownership at Steward’s other Massachusetts hospitals are expected to go into effect on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
In Ayer and Dorchester, where Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center are now shuttered, new working groups are scheduled to work together on recommendations for officials “to promote equitable access to care” following an announcement from Healey on Wednesday.
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