Current:Home > MyMassachusetts governor says Steward Health Care must give 120-day notice before closing hospitals-VaTradeCoin
Massachusetts governor says Steward Health Care must give 120-day notice before closing hospitals
lotradecoin referral program benefits View Date:2024-12-25 23:12:45
BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday she is pressing Steward Health Care to adhere to a state Department of Public Health regulation that hospital owners must give 120 days notice before any medical facility can close in Massachusetts.
Healey made the comment a day after a bankruptcy judge allowed Steward’s decision to close two Massachusetts hospitals. Steward announced July 26 its plan to close the hospitals — Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center — on or around Aug. 31 because it had received no qualified bids for either facility.
The Dallas-based company — which announced its bankruptcy May 6 and two days later said it planned to sell off the 30 hospitals it operates nationwide — said it received qualified bids for six other hospitals it operates in Massachusetts.
“I’ve been clear with Steward, they need to stay open for 120 days. We need to have a smooth transition. Steward made the call to close those two hospitals,” Healey told reporters. “We have been hard at work looking to secure a deal that will ensure a smooth transition of ownership away from Steward to a responsible operator.”
Asked if requiring the hospitals to remain open for the 120 days is possible, Healey said “yes, yes, yes.”
“And the lenders have got to break the leases. We’ve got to break the leases. It’s ridiculous we’re in this situation because of the greed of Steward and (Steward CEO) Ralph de la Torre,” she said.
A spokesperson for Steward did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Healey was referring to lease payments Steward owes after selling their hospitals’ physical properties — including land and buildings — to another company. Both Steward and the state have argued that requiring potential buyers to assume those payments instead of negotiating their own leases — or buying the hospitals properties outright — was making it hard to transfer ownership of the hospitals.
Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston approved a motion by Steward on Wednesday to toss out the master lease binding the Massachusetts hospitals.
In a letter to Steward dated Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren and other members of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation also pointed to the state regulation requiring that a hospital formally notify the state of its intent to close its services 120 days before the proposed closure date, giving state health officials time to conduct public hearings.
“Steward’s financial crisis does not exempt the company from following the law, nor does it relieve Steward and its corporate enablers from their moral obligation to the public,” the lawmakers wrote.
Massachusetts has also agreed to provide about $30 million to help support the operations of six hospitals that Steward Health Care is trying to turn over to new owners.
The payments are advances on Medicaid funds that the state owes Steward and are being provided contingent upon an orderly movement toward new ownership. The $30 million is also contingent on Steward hitting milestones and cannot be used for rental payments, debt service or management fees.
The company’s hospitals are scattered across eight states.
A Senate committee voted last week to authorize an investigation into Steward’s bankruptcy and to subpoena de la Torre. The subpoena would compel de la Torre to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at a hearing on Sept. 12.
veryGood! (7261)
Related
- What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP
- Silicon Valley-backed voter plan for a new California city won’t be on the November ballot after all
- Kamala Harris' stance on marijuana has certainly evolved. Here's what to know.
- Montana education board discusses trends, concerns in student achievement
- Stop & Shop is using grocery store kiosks to make digital
- Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, last surviving member of Motown group Four Tops, dies at 88
- Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, last surviving member of Motown group Four Tops, dies at 88
- Joe Biden's legacy after historic decision to give up 2024 reelection campaign
- Woody Allen and Soon
- 2024 Olympics: Watch Athletes Unbox Condoms Stocked in the Olympic Village
Ranking
- Shanghai bear cub Junjun becomes breakout star
- Holding out for a hero? Here are the 50 best, from Deadpool to Han Solo
- Josh Hartnett Makes Rare Comment About His Kids With Tamsin Egerton
- Psst! Banana Republic’s Summer Sale Is Full of Cute Workwear up to 60% Off, Plus 20% off Select Styles
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- It's not just smoking — here's what causes lung cancer
- Yemen's Houthi-held port of Hodeida still ablaze 2 days after Israeli strike
- Man convicted of kidnapping Michigan store manager to steal guns gets 15 years in prison
Recommendation
-
Dick Van Dyke credits neighbors with saving his life and home during Malibu fire
-
Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, endorses VP Kamala Harris for president
-
Delta cancels hundreds more flights as fallout from CrowdStrike outage persists
-
MLB trade deadline: Should these bubble teams buy or sell?
-
Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single
-
Hiker runs out of water, dies in scorching heat near Utah state park, authorities say
-
Ivan Cornejo weathers heartbreak on new album 'Mirada': 'Everything is going to be fine'
-
Is Kamala Harris going to be president? 'The Simpsons' writer reacts to viral 'prediction'