BOSTON (WHDH) – Steward Health Care said it will close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer next month after it was unable to find any qualified bids to buy the hospitals.
The Texas-based Steward declared bankruptcy earlier this year. In a statement Friday, Steward said it “has been actively working to sell or transition all its Massachusetts hospitals.” Steward said it was in “active final negotiations” to sell six hospitals in the state.
With no buyers in place for Carney Hospital or Nashoba Valley Medical Center, though, Steward said both facilities are scheduled to close on or around Aug. 31.
“This is a challenging and unfortunate situation, and the effect it will have on our patients, our employees, and the communities we serve is regrettable,” Steward said. “We will do all we can to ensure a smooth transition for those affected while continuing to provide quality care to the patients we will continue to serve.”
With hospital closures now looming, Gov. Maura Healey said “This is not over.”
“It’s regrettable that [Steward CEO] Ralph de la Torre and Steward’s greed and mismanagement are resulting in the closures of Carney and Nashoba Valley hospitals,” Healey said.
Healey said the hospital closures “are about more than the loss of beds, doctors, and nurses” and said state officials “have prepared diligently for this moment.”
Moving forward, Healey said the state “will take all available steps to help facilitate a smooth transition for impacted patients and employees.”
Steward operates nine hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The company previously said it planned to sell its operational Massachusetts hospitals as part of its bankruptcy process. Norwood Hospital, which has been closed since severe flooding in 2020, will not be sold.
Come Friday, Healey called on Steward to finalize deals to sell its remaining hospitals,…