BOSTON - Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that the state will "seize control" of St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton by using eminent domain, and her administration has deals in place to save four other Steward Health Care hospitals in Massachusetts from closure.
"We're closing the book on Steward, once and for all, in Massachusetts," Healey said in a news conference. "In doing so, we are protecting access to care in those communities and preserving jobs, jobs of thousands of hard-working women and men who work at these hospitals." Deals have been reached "in principle" to give Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Holy Family hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen to new owners.
But Healey said the private equity firms managing Steward's bankruptcy are not acting in the best interests of Massachusetts residents when it comes to a deal for St. Elizabeth's. Steward declared bankruptcy in May and said it would put all its U.
S. hospitals up for sale . "Enough is enough," the governor said in a statement.
"Our administration is going to seize control of Saint Elizabeth's through eminent domain so that we can facilitate a transition to a new owner and keep this hospital open." Eminent domain refers to the power of the government to take private property for public use. New owners for Steward hospitals Lawrence General Hospital will operate the Holy Family hospitals if the deals are approved.
Rhode Island.
