Delegation Wants Update On Steward Finances, Hospitals

Fearing a spate of hospital closures that could jeopardize health care access for residents, the Massachusetts congressional delegation wants a financial briefing from Steward Health Care system.

Lawmakers also want an update on the status of Steward's facilities and the company's "plans to ensure the communities Steward's hospitals serve are not abandoned."

The company, which last month announced plans to close a long-term care and rehabilitation hospital in Stoughton this spring, is facing major financial challenges that could lead to more facility closures, The Boston Globe reported Friday. Steward operates nine facilities in Massachusetts, including in Dorchester, Brockton, Haverhill, Methuen, Taunton, Brighton and Fall River. In addition, it owns the destroyed Norwood  Hospital, still being rebuilt after a catastrophic flood.

In a letter to Steward CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre on Tuesday, the delegation warned that shuttering the company's safety-net hospitals, which serve a high volume of Medicaid and Medicare patients, would primarily burden Massachusetts residents who already face the "greatest challenges accessing health care."

"The abrupt closure of Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals would significantly limit access to inpatient critical care and inpatient behavioral health care, as well as maternal and newborn health services in eastern Massachusetts," the letter said. "Since Steward’s Good Samaritan Hospital is currently the only acute care hospital in the Greater Brockton area, the availability of medical care for residents in this area would be especially challenging as patients from that region are shifted to other hospitals, many of which do not have the capacity to absorb a sustained surge in patient volume."

A spokespeople for Steward did not respond to a request for comment.

State law requires hospitals to notify the Department of Public Health at least 120 days before it intends to stop services. Beacon Hill lawmakers have been exploring options to block closures if services are deemed essential or to establish a mechanism for state receivership of hospitals.

"We are encouraged that Steward officials are engaged in conversations with state officials," the delegation said. "However, residents, workers, regulators, and elected officials must have a seat at the table for conversations about Steward's plans for the future to ensure continued access to high quality medical care in their communities."

An Executive Office of Health and Human Services spokesperson said the Department of Public Health "will continue to closely monitor and work with Steward to protect patients, preserve jobs, and maintain quality.”

"A top priority of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, EOHHS, and DPH is to protect public health and safety," the spokesperson said. "This means maintaining safe and high-quality care in hospitals throughout the state, and supporting the healthcare workforce. When healthcare facilities or services close, we are always concerned about any potential disruption to patients, healthcare workers, families, and communities."

--SHNS