BOSTON (WHDH) – Steward Health Care plans to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer next month after the company said it received no qualified offers to buy the hospitals.
Steward filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. In a statement Friday, Steward said it was “actively working to sell or transition all of its Massachusetts hospitals.”
Steward said “active final negotiations” are underway to sell six hospitals in the state. But with no buyers in place for Carney Hospital or Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Steward said both facilities are expected to close on or around Aug. 31.
“This is a difficult and unfortunate situation, and the impact it will have on our patients, our employees and the communities we serve is regrettable,” Steward said. “We will do everything we can to ensure a smooth transition for those affected while continuing to provide quality care to the patients we will continue to serve.”
As hospital closures loom, Gov. Maura Healey said, “This is not over.”
“It is unfortunate that (Steward CEO) Ralph de la Torre and Steward’s greed and mismanagement are leading to the closure of Carney and Nashoba Valley hospitals,” Healey said.
Healey said hospital closures “are about more than just losing beds, doctors and nurses” and that state officials “have been diligently preparing for this moment.”
Going forward, Healey said the state “will take all available steps to facilitate a smooth transition for affected patients and employees.”
Steward owns nine hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The company previously said it planned to sell its operating hospitals in Massachusetts as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Norwood Hospital, which has been closed since severe flooding in 2020, will not be sold.
On Tuesday, Healey told reporters: “We have qualified bids for all the hospitals.”
On Friday, after Steward said it had received no qualified offers for Carney and Nashoba Valley, Healey called on Steward to finalize deals to sell its other local facilities.
“It is time for Steward and its real estate partners to finally put the interests of the communities they serve above their own selfish greed,” Healey said. “They must finalize these deals that are in their best interest and the best interest of patients and workers.”
Healey highlighted the work of Steward employees. Her office said the Carney and Nashoba Valley closures would proceed in an “orderly and orderly manner.”
“For our administration, it has always been about protecting health care and jobs,” Healey said. “We work every day toward that goal, and I can tell you that we continue to do everything we can to make that happen.”
Under scrutiny for his company’s financial decisions that led to its bankruptcy filing, Steward CEO de la Torre has drawn the ire of state, local and federal officials in recent months.
This week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to authorize an investigation into Steward’s bankruptcy and the Torre subpoena.
As news of the upcoming hospital closures spread across the Boston area and central Massachusetts, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge said he was “heartbroken.”
Eldridge, who represents communities including Ayer, called Nashoba Valley a “valuable community hospital” and called on Healey “to continue working to prevent any hospital from closing.”
Eldridge asked Healey to create a transition plan and noted state law that requires hospitals to notify the state Department of Public Health at least 120 days before a proposed closure date.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association also highlighted the 120-day notice requirement and called on state officials to enforce the law.
Healey’s office said a bankruptcy judge will have to approve Steward’s motion to close Carney and Nashoba Valley.
She also highlighted the notification requirement, saying that “Steward is required to send notice of closure to the Department of Public Health, which will then facilitate the transition for affected patients and employees.”
The Healey administration urged patients in Carney and Nashoba Valley to contact their health care providers to discuss the referrals and have their records transferred to new providers.
Steward said she will work closely with patients in Carney and Nashoba Valley to help them find new alternative care. The company also said it will work with employees “to help them through this very difficult transition.”
Last Friday, Steward said he had informed “appropriate federal and state agencies of the closure process.”
Hours later, Carney Hospital patient Sonia Lyle said she was “very disappointed and sad” by the day’s events.
“I’m going home with a broken heart,” she said.
“I hope they change their minds and keep the project open,” another local said. “We need it.”
Alyssa Bartolomew, a Carney hospital employee, said she was angry.
“I am angry because of the way they deceived us,” she said. “They told us everything was fine.”
Carney’s history dates back to 1863 and the hospital is currently licensed for 109 beds, according to the state Department of Public Health. Carney recorded 2,653 visits to its emergency department in June, a 4.9% decrease from June 2023 figures.
Nashoba Valley Medical Center was founded in 1964 and is licensed for 57 beds. Nashoba Valley recorded 1,384 visits to its emergency department in June, a decrease of 3.4% from June 2023.
Nashoba Valley registered nurse Michelle Travers said many of the hospital’s employees have worked there for years.
“There’s a lot of seniority here. A lot of nurses with many, many years of experience,” she said.
The hospital president went from department to department, spreading the news that the hospital would close, possibly as early as the end of August.
“We’ve worked really hard to make sure the public and the community knows how detrimental this is going to be to the surrounding towns, not just Ayer. If Nashoba Valley closes, I really feel a little bad,” said nurse Naomi Andrews.
As Carney and Nashoba Valley are set to close, state officials have directed patients to an interactive online dashboard that allows people to identify nearby hospitals, see what services are available at each hospital and see updates on patient volumes.
Back at Carney Hospital at 4 p.m. Friday, someone had placed a cardboard sign outside the hospital campus.
“It’s for everything Ralph!” the sign read, in a potential reference to de la Torre.
When asked if she had a message for Steward, Bartolomew replied.
“You have disappointed us,” she said. “You have disappointed us miserably.”
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