Workers describe unpaid bills, delayed care and anxiety at Mass. Steward hospitals

whether Steward executives enriched themselves and their investors while neglecting hospitals that serve many elderly and low-income patients. Steward executives deny this.

Most of Steward's Massachusetts patients are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, the government insurance programs that serve mainly low-income, elderly or disabled patients. The company has said low reimbursement rates for these programs are a big reason behind its financial difficulties. There are other hospitals that serve similar patient populations, but none appear to be in as dire straits as Steward.

Steward declined to comment for this story. Carney hospital administrators did not respond to efforts to contact them.Carney was once a very different hospital from what it is today, according to Carl Odom, a cardiopulmonary technician who has worked there for more than four decades. It was founded in 1863 as a Catholic hospital and remained true to its origins for much of its history. Odom remembers when the hospital was run by nuns from the Daughters of Charity order.

"Initially it was very good," Odom said." The people brought in to support us, the hospitals, we could call them and even the vice president would be here." "People started saying they couldn't get supplies anymore because there was a credit hold," Odom said."So, we had to find new vendors — maybe small companies who couldn't give us a full order but would at least give us some supplies.Despite this, Odom said he never witnessed anything that posed a risk to patients.North of Boston, at another Steward hospital, employees described a similar pattern of early investment followed by years of declines.

"We have a big medical staff, about 50 doctors," Yehiazarians said."So they all showed up for a meeting at my house." "A lot of people in the community were reading about what was happening, and they were not happy," Yeghiazarians said."They started migrating out and went other places for their care. So, we're going to have to regain the trust of patients."

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