BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that the state will “take control” of St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Brighton using eminent domain, and her administration has reached agreements to save four others Steward Health Care Hospitals in Massachusetts since the shutdown.
“We are turning the page on Steward, once and for all, in Massachusetts,” Healey said at a news conference. “In doing so, we are protecting access to care in these communities and preserving the jobs of thousands of hardworking women and men in these hospitals.”
Deals have been reached “in principle” to give new owners St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Holy Family hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen. But Healey said the private equity firms that manage Steward’s Bankruptcy are not acting in the best interests of Massachusetts residents when it comes to a deal for St. Elizabeth. Steward filed for bankruptcy in May and said it would put all of its U.S. hospitals into bankruptcy. for sale.
“Enough is enough,” the governor said in a statement. “Our administration will take control of St. Elizabeth through expropriation so we can facilitate the transition to new ownership and keep this hospital open.”
Expropriation for public utility refers to the government’s power to take private property for public purposes.
New owners for Steward Hospitals
Lawrence General Hospital would manage Holy Family hospitals if the deals are approved. Rhode Island-based Lifespan would take over Morton and Saint Anne’s.
Boston Medical Center would take control of Good Samaritan and Saint Elizabeth once the state’s expropriation process is complete, Healey said.
Steward had no immediate comment on the state’s announcement when contacted by WBZ-TV.
Healey said his administration is working with lawmakers to develop a “fiscally responsible financing plan that includes cash advances, capital support and maximizing federal contributions” for the transfer of ownership of the hospitals.
Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre has been accused for years of prioritizing profits over patients and has been subpoenaed before the U.S. Senate. Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont have called him a “model” of corporate greed.
“I think it’s a win for Massachusetts because we got rid of a very bad operator,” Healey said of Steward.
Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center remain closed
Healey’s new announcement does not affect the planned closures Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, which Steward announced last month after no qualifying offers were made.
State and local health officials told Carney staffers Tuesday that there was no plans to resume installation Healey said his administration is focused on creating new jobs for workers and moving patients to new hospitals.
“This is an incredibly upsetting reality,” Healey said of the impending closures of these hospitals. “Please know that our administration will continue to work with these communities to do our best to safely transition care and support our workers.”
Steward’s eighth hospital in Massachusetts, Norwood Hospital, has been closed since it was flooded by heavy rains in June 2020.
