The hospital that was once the nation's first dedicated COVID care center during the height of the pandemic is closing its doors for good.
Carney Hospital, in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, is one of two Steward Health Care facilities that closed Saturday, along with Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer. The facilities ceased operating despite months of pressure from politicians who said Steward's executives have been putting profits over patients.
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We first learned of the possibility of these hospitals closing at the beginning of the year when it became clear that the company operating nine hospitals in Massachusetts was in financial crisis.
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Gov. Maura Healey told the Texas-based health care system to leave the state in February.
Steward Health Care filed for bankruptcy in May and began selling off their hospitals. They have signed off on deals to save six hospitals but the Carney and Nashoba Valley are not among them, impacting thousands of patients and staffers who have been there for decades.
“I think it’ll be a lot like last time. You know, we’ll all be telling stories and memories of things that we’ve lived through and things that we’ve done. There will be laughter. There will be tears. We’ll see. It’s going to be really sad though. It’s been a really rough month.” said Emergency Nurse Maryann Rockett, who has been through the situation before with the shutdown of Quincy Hospital in 2020.
“They ruined something so good it’s just. It’s just unbelievable.” said Maureen Rate, who worked in the medical procedure unit for 45 years.
“It’s like someone came and dropped a bomb on your family," added Barbara Sampson, who worked there for 42 years.
“It’s gonna be a challenge for the people around here. Dorchester people tend to like being in Dorchester and this is gonna be a tough thing for them,” said Karl Odom, who worked in the respiratory department for 46 years.
Healey announced on Friday that Boston Medical Center will take over operations at St. Elizabeth's in Brighton and Good Samaritan in Brockton.
