Boston Governor Maura Healey declared on Friday that the state would utilize eminent domain to take control of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton. Her administration has also secured agreements to rescue four other Steward Health Care hospitals in Massachusetts from shutting down.
“We are putting an end to Steward’s presence in Massachusetts once and for all,” Healey stated during a press conference. “By doing so, we are safeguarding healthcare access in these communities and preserving the jobs of thousands of dedicated hospital staff.”
Agreements “in principle” have been made to transfer ownership of Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton, and Holy Family hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen to new entities. However, Healey criticized the private equity firms managing Steward’s bankruptcy for not prioritizing the interests of Massachusetts residents in the deal for St. Elizabeth’s.
“Eminent domain will be employed to secure control of Saint Elizabeth’s, facilitating a transition to a new owner and ensuring the hospital remains operational,” Governor Healey explained.
Lawrence General Hospital, Lifespan, and Boston Medical Center are slated to take over the respective hospitals once the transactions are finalized. Despite this positive development, Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center will still cease operations.
Healey emphasized the importance of crafting a financially responsible funding plan to facilitate the hospital ownership transfers. At the same time, Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre’s profit-oriented approach has raised concerns about patient care, prompting scrutiny from lawmakers.
In the ongoing effort to protect healthcare resources, the state remains dedicated to supporting affected communities and workers amid these changes.
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