Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders are working with Republicans to put a contempt citation vote together against Dallas-based Steward Health Care's CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, after he declined to take part in a Sept. 12 bipartisan Senate committee hearing.
On July 25, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 16-4 to subpoena Dr. de la Torre to testify at the "Examining the Bankruptcy of Steward Health Care: How Management Decisions Have Impacted Patient Care" hearing. The HELP committee also voted 20-1 to investigate Steward's May 6 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
"Ralph de la Torre has shown contempt for our healthcare system," Mr. Markey said during a Sept. 5 press conference. "Now, the United States Senate must bring contempt charges against Ralph de la Torre. This means that the Senate committee must vote to hold de la Torre in criminal or civil contempt, or both, and then the full Senate must vote to refer this recommendation to haul de la Torre into court."
Should Dr. de la Torre be held in contempt but continue to refuse to appear before the HELP committee, Mr. Markey and his colleagues will "not stop until he answers for what he has done or is put behind bars," the senator said.
Dr. de la Torre has faced criticism over the last few months for his lavish vacations and ownership of not one, but two multi-million dollar yachts as the for-profit health system's hospitals struggle financially.
"Ralph de la Torre's lawyer says that Mr. de la Torre can't talk because the hearing will be turned into a 'pseudo criminal proceeding,'" Sen. Elizabeth Warren said during the press conference. "Congress has questions to ask and if Mr. de la Torre believes the answers will put him at risk for going to jail, he can take the Fifth Amendment, right out in public, for everyone to see."
Mr. Markey shared that the committee still plans to hold the Sept. 12 hearing and will leave an empty chair for Dr. de la Torre.
The hearing comes as U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved the sale of six Steward hospitals in Massachusetts. Steward also recently closed two of its state hospitals, Boston-based Carney Hospital and Ayer-based Nashoba Valley Medical Center on Aug. 31.
Ellen MacInnis, RN, a nurse at Steward's St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and member on the Massachusetts Nurses Association Board of Directors, said during the press conference that while she was pleased to see some of Steward's Massachusetts hospitals get picked up by new operators, concern remains for the communities who lost care access due to the two hospital closures.
"[S]omeday we will see [Dr. de la Torre] not in surgical scrubs, not in an Armani suit, but where he belongs, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit," Ms. MacInnis said.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also expressed her gratitude in a Sept. 5 statement, shared with Becker's, to Mr. Markey and Ms. Warren for their continued efforts to hold Dr. de la Torre accountable.
"His [Dr. de la Torre's] refusal to testify before the Senate is shameful, but it follows his pattern of complete disregard for his responsibilities," Ms. Healey said.
Steward did not have a comment for Becker's at this time.