Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has called on the financially ailing Steward Health Care to follow the state’s Department of Public Health regulation that requires hospital owners to provide 120 days’ notice before closing a medical facility.
The Associated Press reported that Healey’s request follows the ruling by bankruptcy judge that allowed the Dallas-headquartered Steward to close two Massachusetts hospitals. Steward announced its bankruptcy in May and said it would sell off 30 of the hospitals that it operates around the nation. On July 26, the company said it planned to close Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center on or around Aug. 31 after it failed to receive qualified bids for either facility.
“I’ve been clear with Steward, they need to stay open for 120 days – we need to have a smooth transition. Steward made the call to close those two hospitals,” said Healey at a press conference. “We have been hard at work looking to secure a deal that will ensure a smooth transition of ownership away from Steward to a responsible operator.”
Steward complained that a state requirement that potential buyers to assume lease payments on its properties instead of negotiating their own leases or buying the hospitals properties outright made the transfer of the hospitals’ ownership difficult.
;
