Steward Health Care says financial difficulties jeopardize care at Mass. facilities

Carney Hospital in Dorchester is one of several Massachusetts facilities operated by Steward Health Care System.

Steward, based in Dallas, said the past few years and the pandemic have devastated community hospitals including those it operates in Massachusetts. The main issue, the company said, is the gap between reimbursement rates that insurers and government health programs pay to community hospitals, compared to what they pay large academic medical centers.

The main entrance at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, a Steward Health Care family hospital in Brighton. "If they close facilities, it would really cripple the Massachusetts health care ecosystem," said health care consultant Dr. John Freedman with Freedman HealthCare." They're a big provider, particularly in underserved areas, and it would be a big problem."

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the state's priority is maintaining"safe and high-quality care" in all health care facilities. “While there remain many unanswered questions as to Steward’s fiscal condition and future plans in Massachusetts, the House will continue to work with the Administration to monitor the situation, keeping in mind the vital public health and economic role that hospitals play in our communities," Mariano said in a statement.Information about Steward's finances has been elusive. The company has not filed financial disclosures that hospitals typically provide to the state.

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