Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has continued to express worry over Dallas-based Steward Health Care's ongoing financial difficulties.
"I am deeply concerned by Steward Health Care's grave financial situation and appalled by allegations of patient neglect," Ms. Warren said in a Jan. 29 statement.
Ms. Warren also said after organizing a briefing for Steward to be pressed for answers by the congressional delegation on the status of its Massachusetts hospitals that the private, for-profit health system's responses for its financial struggles were not adding up.
"Steward Health Care serves a patient population that are among the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable, and we are committed to continuing to care for them," a spokesperson for Steward said in a statement shared with Becker's in response to Ms. Warren's comments. "We are committed to working productively with public officials to ensure that we can provide uninterrupted and high-quality care for the communities we serve."
Steward is reportedly looking to sell four of its Massachusetts hospitals; Ayer, Mass.-based Nashoba Valley Medical Center; Boston-based St. Elizabeth's Medical Center; Holy Family Hospital, which has two locations in Haverhill and Methuen, Mass.; and Norwood (Mass.) Hospital, which had plans to rebuild after closing in 2020 due to flood damage, Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch told WCVB.
"It’s clear that Steward executives put profits over patients and went to great lengths to hide critical information about its financial status from state officials, jeopardizing quality health care for the people of Massachusetts. My primary concern is the thousands of patients who face threats to care and the front-line health care workers whose jobs are at risk," she said.
Ms. Warren's responses come as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey shared that Steward is "not going to be bailed out," from the financial situation it's in, NPR affiliate WBUR reported Jan. 27.
While state officials have yet to see a plan from Steward, Ms. Healey said her goal is to protect patients and jobs and to stabilize the Massachusetts healthcare system, WBUR reported.
Ms. Warren plans to continue investigation of the decisions that led to Steward's "potential public health crisis," according to her statement.