BOSTON (WHDH) – Gov. Maura Healey on Friday formally seized St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, taking control of the Steward-owned hospital as officials look to preserve health care facilities in Massachusetts.
Healey previously outlined plans to take St. Elizabeth’s by eminent domain as part of a process to install Boston Medical Center as the hospital’s new operator.
Despite continued protests from companies that control the land on which St. Elizabeth’s sits, Healey moved forward with the taking.
“While Apollo [Global Management] continues to put its greed ahead of the health and wellbeing of the people of Massachusetts, we are taking action to make sure St. Elizabeth’s remains open,” Healey said.
By transferring operations at St. Elizabeth’s to Boston Medical Center, Healey said the state will “protect access to care for tens of thousands of patients and save thousands of jobs.”
Steward has been in the spotlight in recent months as it spiraled into bankruptcy.
To date, a bankruptcy court has approved Steward’s request to sell five of its hospitals to other organizations, including Boston Medical Center.
Steward closed two other hospitals at the end of last month after it said it could not find qualified buyers.
Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a criminal contempt resolution against Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre after he refused a subpoena to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
State officials have criticized Steward and openly worried about the impact of hospital closures. With Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer already closing, Healey in mid-August said she would work to preserve remaining hospitals, including St. Elizabeth’s.
In an offer, the state proposed taking St. Elizabeth’s using eminent domain and buying the land the hospital sits on for $4.5 million.
Landowner Medical Properties Trust and lenders Apollo…