Elected officials and healthcare unions are reacting strongly to Steward Health Care’s closure of Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, vowing to fight for residents in their communities after the Dallas-based for-profit company dropped the bombshell Friday.
Here’s what some of them had to say:
Dr. Hugh Taylor, President of the Massachusetts Medical Society
“This is an unfortunate yet predictable outcome and underscores the reality that occurs when profit is valued over patients, as happened here. The Medical Society calls on Steward Health Care to uphold its ethical obligation to be transparent, timely, and clear with patients, staff, and state agencies in communicating transition plans and its strategies to mitigate the fallout from the significant disruption this will cause.”
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts
“The callousness demonstrated for the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts is nothing short of astonishing. Steward Health Care — led by Dr. (Ralph) de la Torre and facilitated by private equity and real estate investment trusts — intentionally purchased safety net hospitals that communities rely on, and they ran them into the ground in their efforts to extract maximum profits. But Dr. de la Torre and his private equity cronies will not get away with this.”
Steve Walsh, President and CEO of Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association
“Community members and healthcare professionals should know that MHA and our member hospitals have their backs. For the past eight months, we have been working daily with the state to prepare for any scenario that comes our way … Although this is a challenging time for our healthcare system, our member hospitals stand ready and prepared to meet the needs of every patient.”
Boston City Councilor John FitzGerald, whose district includes most of Dorchester
“Carney Hospital has been a cornerstone of healthcare in Dorchester for generations. Its closure will be devastating to both the patients who rely on its services and the employees who have dedicated their lives to serving our community. Steward Health Care’s inability to find a qualified bidder is a direct result of their mismanagement and greed, as highlighted by Governor Healey.”
Massachusetts Nurses Association
“The nurses and health professionals who have held the line throughout this crisis call on the state and federal governments to ensure the continued operation of these hospitals, because no community is expendable and closure is not a viable or acceptable option. In the interim, we call on the state to enforce its law forbidding hospital closures with less than 120 days’ notice to allow the state time to find a means of preserving these hospitals for the care of these vulnerable communities.”
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