Gov. Maura Healey's office said Friday that the struggling Steward Healthcare System must leave Massachusetts.
“The financial information Stewards provided this week remains incomplete and insufficient. What Stewards must do moving forward is clear – complete an orderly transition from Massachusetts,” the governor's office said in a statement. mentioned in.
Elected officials are pressuring Steward, owner of nine medical facilities in the state, including Kearney Hospital in Dorchester, to turn over financial records. But so far, the Dallas-based company hasn't been able to do that.
The for-profit health system is reportedly $50 million behind in rent. Employees also claim that supplies are in short supply because Steward has not paid vendors. It also said construction on Norwood Hospital, which flooded in 2020, has been halted due to non-payments to contractors.
Healthcare workers here say the financial crisis is taking a toll on patient care.
Earlier this week, Sen. Warren accused private equity of intervening years ago and stripping Steward Health of its assets, leaving it a shell of a hospital system.
“It's unthinkable for a CEO to be sitting on a yacht offshore, for private investors who have already walked away with literally hundreds of millions of dollars while people are suffering in this commonwealth. First and foremost, we all need It's important not only to make sure people have access to affordable health insurance, but also to hold those who have destroyed this system accountable.”
Many fear that if Stewards closes facilities like Kearney, other hospitals in the city will not be able to handle the influx of patients.
On the other hand, the financial crisis is also manifested in small things, such as shortages due to non-payments to vendors. Employees at the two Boston locations say patients are already stopping coming because they believe the hospital is closed or are worried about the care they will receive.
“It can be difficult to get paper, water and IV extension kits in the emergency room,” a health care worker said at a Boston City Council meeting Thursday.
