BOSTON – Steward Health Care plans to lay off more than 1,200 employees who work between two hospitals it plans to close sometime next month.
According to Mass.gov’s WARN report, 753 employees at Dorchester’s Carney Hospital and 490 at Ayer’s Nashoba Valley Medical Center will lose their jobs.
For-profit health care provider Steward announced in May and late July that they would close Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer after failing to find hospital customers.
On Thursday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wrote a letter to the owners of Dorchester’s Carney Hospital expressing concern about the future of the property after Steward Health Care announced its closing.
Wu ordered that the property be used only for health care purposes or face retribution from his office.
“Our community is rightly concerned that your companies, not satisfied with the hundreds of millions of dollars already siphoned from Steward Hospitals, hope to profit from the closure of Carney Hospital by renovating goods,” the letter read. “I would like to make it clear that my Administration will oppose any attempt by the owners to rezone the property for uses other than the provision of health care. “
Governor Maura Healey’s office said Steward Ralph de la Torre’s business practices were “irresponsible.”
“These nurses and health workers come to work every day amidst these uncertainties and serve their patients with dedication. We are prepared for this and are working with our partners in the workplace to ensure that all affected staff are employed elsewhere, including the five hospitals we intend to keep. We expect everyone to find new jobs, and many already have. Steward, their lenders and their real estate partners need to complete the remaining hospitals immediately,” said a spokesperson for the Governor’s office.
Healey said Thursday he is pressing Steward Health Care to comply with a Department of Public Health rule requiring hospital owners to give 120 days’ notice before any medical facility can close in Massachusetts.
“I made it clear to 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,” Healey told reporters. “We have worked hard to find an agreement that will ensure a smooth transition of ownership from Steward to Responsible Person.”
The Massachusetts Nurses Association called the retirement discussion “premature,” citing the governor’s letter to Steward.
“Let’s be clear, our goal, and the goal of members of the public, conservationists and a growing number of policymakers is to use every means open to us to stop this closure,” a spokesperson for Massachusetts Nurses Association The Governor yesterday announced his plan to search for Steward. in accordance with state law that requires 120 days’ notice before any closing, it will allow all parties to identify new operators of these hospitals, a process made easier by this week’s bankruptcy court order denying the leases existing of this property, to open. The door to the best employment negotiations for people who want to buy these hospitals. We have made it clear that there is no reason for this or the closure of hospitals affected by this crisis and if it happens that the lives of thousands of patients are at risk. Before that happens, we believe that the government should declare a public health emergency, and if necessary, get money from the National Rain fund, which is currently at $8 billion.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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