The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will vote the week of July 22 to subpoena Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, and to conduct a "thorough and comprehensive investigation" into what led to the Dallas-based health system filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
"Time and time again we have invited Dr. de la Torre to come before Congress to testify about the financial mismanagement at Steward that led to one of the largest health care bankruptcies in our nation’s history," U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey said in a July 18 news release. "And time and time again, he has arrogantly refused."
Mr. Sanders is chairman of the HELP committee and Mr. Markey is subcommittee chair.
In March, Mr. Markey invited Dr. de la Torre to attend the committee's April 3 field hearing in Boston titled "When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Greed Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk." Dr. de la Torre did not show up.
"Enough is enough," the release said. "It is time for Dr. de la Torre to get off of his yacht and explain to Congress how much he has gained financially while bankrupting the hospitals he manages."
Steward is currently working to auction off its 31 hospitals and physician group, Stewardship Health. UnitedHealth Group's Optum recently backed out of plans to acquire Stewardship Health.
"Several of Steward’s hospitals have been forced to close their doors," the release said. "Others couldn’t pay their health providers or purchase life-saving hospital supplies. Now, communities across the country are grappling with the possibility of losing their local hospitals as a result of Steward’s gross financial mismanagement."
Steward declined to provide Becker's with a comment.