The weather is taking a toll on patients and staff at two Steward Health Care hospitals in the Bay Area.
The Texas-based company filed for bankruptcy in May and last week announced the closing of Carney Hospital in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.
“I’ve been a patient for 53 years,” said Carney Hospital patient Rob Burke. “If they ask me ‘do you want to keep your doctor?’ ok, what about my hospital?”
Burke and other patients joined health workers at Carney Hospital in a protest Monday morning in front of the building.
“I’ve been told I’ve been out of work since August 31,” said Carney Hospital psychiatrist Becky Read.
Steward Health Care is closing two hospitals at the end of the month and plans to sell its remaining six in Massachusetts.
“I think it makes sense that they want to close the hospital when there’s no other hospital here so they need to stay open,” said Carney Hospital Administrator Stephanie Dawson.
Dawson has been Peggy Phisher’s guardian for the past ten years. Fisher is a senior patient with special needs. He wished to send a message to the company’s CEO Ralph de la Torre.
“When he sees her, he wants to give her a piece of his mind,” said Dawson, explaining to Fisher.
De la Torre is accused by elected officials of profiting from failing hospitals and evading a state law that requires 120 days’ advance notice of closings.
“We need to establish a 120-day shutdown and have a public hearing as required by law,” said Suffolk First District Senator Nick Collins who was at the protest Monday morning.
The closure of both hospitals will affect approximately 1,250 employees.
“They can sell this property, allowing the government or a buyer to come in and keep this hospital that serves vulnerable and disadvantaged people alive,” said Carney Hospital ER doctor Stephen Wood.
In an effort to avoid a shutdown, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is urging the governor and mayor to declare a health emergency, draw down the state’s $8 billion “rainy day” fund, and as the last option, they win hospitals with a famous place.
“[We’re] we want to make sure that we bring together the entire ecosystem of health care providers across different city limits so that we can have all resources on the table,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
Steward Health Care has not responded to NBC10 Boston’s requests to explain why it is not selling the hospitals instead of closing them.
Insight Health, another health care group, confirmed Tuesday that they had submitted a bid to buy all eight Steward hospitals, but nothing came of it.
“Insight Health System has applied to acquire all eight hospitals operated by Steward Health System in Massachusetts. As a physician-led organization, Insight Health System believes in providing equitable access to care services. of health for all, and we deeply understand how dangerous the closure of health centers can be for local communities. We have experience in turning distressed health care centers into pillars sustainable funding of public health services with non-secondary care – something we have done in Southside; Flint, Michigan; and stand ready and able to do it here in Massachusetts.” wrote Atif Bawahab, chief strategy officer at Insight Health System, was not reached for comment.
Ayer’s Select Board has a meeting on the matter on Tuesday, and the Boston City Council is expected to address it on Wednesday.
The CEO of Steward Health Care has been subpoenaed by the US Senate and is expected to testify on September 12.
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