In a strongly-worded release issued Monday U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted embattled Steward Health Care, saying its executives "put profits over patients" and went to great lengths to hide critical information about its financial status from state officials.
"Steward's explanations for its failings do not add up," she said.
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The Massachusetts Democrat added that she is "deeply concerned" by Steward's grave financial situation and "appalled by allegations of patient neglect at Steward facilities."
"My primary concern is the thousands of patients who face threats to care and the front-line health care workers whose jobs are at risk," Warren said. "I will continue to investigate the decisions that led to this potential public health crisis."
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Last week, Warren led the Massachusetts Congressional delegation in a letter to Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre to remind him of significant impacts on patients if any of Steward's hospitals were to close in Massachusetts.
U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch was one of the delegation members who signed the letter.
"In this case, we were given very little notice," the Massachusetts Democrat told NBC10 Boston last week. "It was basically an emergency situation as soon as we heard of it. Part of our investigation will be to see where the $100 million went that we provided to various hospitals. That's just within my Congressional district. Even more money was given to Steward Health Care facilities outside the district."
"I couldn't hazard a guess on the likelihood of any particular facility closing down," he added, "but I do know that they've already had open discussions about that very thing."
Steward operates Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen, Morton Hospital in Taunton, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, New England Sinai Hospital, Norwood Hospital (closed and undergoing construction following a serious flood), Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton. The company employs more than 16,000 nurses, doctors and other health care workers in Massachusetts, according to the delegation.
In its letter, the delegation cited a Jan. 19 Boston Globe report indicating Steward is in "grave financial distress," the company's plans to close New England Sinai Hospital, a Jan. 4 Medical Properties Trust report regarding unmet rent and loan payments, and federal charges that Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Steward Medical Group, and Steward Health Care System violated the False Claims Act.
Steward issued a statement in response to the letter, saying "Steward Health Care serves a patient population that are among the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable, and we are committed to continuing to care for them. We are committed to working productively with public officials to ensure that we can provide uninterrupted and high-quality care for the communities we serve.”
Hospital systems across Massachusetts are strained due to a mix of patient demand, workforce constraints and funding challenges, and lawmakers across the state are watching the Steward situation, with an eye on impacts in their districts and possible interventions.
Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday that she is monitoring the "evolving situation" at Steward Health Care with the goal of ensuring stability in the state's health care system.
State lawmakers are also looking to obtain more detailed financial information from Steward as they evaluate potential interventions to safeguard access to hospitals, Sen. Nick Collins said last week.
"I don't think anyone wants these hospitals to fail," he said. "It's not an option."
Collins said he visited St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton and Carney Hospital in Dorchester, which is in his district, this week. He said hospital employees are stressed by the company's financial problems but are committed to serving their communities.
"What would happen if those two hospitals failed would be catastrophic," he said. "Having one of them not exist would be an absolute disaster. They deserve to get the support they need to succeed."
Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka has also been pondering the issues presented by Steward's situation.
"This is a very complicated issue, and it's unfolding by the day," she said Thursday. "So we are working closely with the administration and monitoring it, and finding out what is happening with the various hospitals in the situation."
Attorney General Andrea Campbell is also focused on the matter.
"Our priorities right now are patients, protecting access to healthcare, as well as the jobs of those who make it possible to provide that care," Campbell said in a statement Thursday. "We’re currently in problem-solving mode, willing to use every power available to us to protect these priorities, while looking to a time in the near future to seriously address how Steward got in this situation."
State House News Service contributed to this report.
