Boston - Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey issued the following statement about Steward Health Care's intention to close two Massachusetts hospitals, Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer:

“This is not over. It’s regrettable that Ralph de la Torre and Steward’s greed and mismanagement are resulting in the closures of Carney and Nashoba Valley hospitals. These hospitals have long served their communities – their closures are about more than the loss of beds, doctors, and nurses. We want to assure the people of Massachusetts that we have prepared diligently for this moment and will take all available steps to help facilitate a smooth transition for impacted patients and employees.  

For the remaining hospitals, we know that Steward received several bids to not only maintain but improve five of their hospitals in three key regions. It is time for Steward and their real estate partners to finally put the communities they serve over their own selfish greed. They need to finalize these deals that are in their best interest and the best interest of patients and workers.

As this process continues, I want to particularly recognize the employees at Steward hospitals who have continued to work day after day to provide care and comfort to patients in need. These employees have demonstrated a selfless commitment to their patients, and I am immensely grateful to them. We are committed to supporting them through this transition, as well as the communities who will be impacted by these closures.

For our administration, this has always been about protecting health care and jobs. We have been working every day toward that goal, and I can tell you that we are continuing to do everything we can to accomplish that.”

Carney and Nashoba remain open today and will proceed through an orderly and regulated closure. The next step in the process for these two hospitals is for the bankruptcy judge to approve Steward’s motion to close. Steward is required to send a notice of closure to the Department of Public Health, which will then facilitate a transition for impacted patients and employees.

The Healey-Driscoll administration is committed to helping residents understand where they can access care and supporting neighboring hospitals and surrounding health centers as they welcome new patients. A new online interactive dashboard allows patients to map nearby hospitals, understand the services available at each location, and view monthly updates on patient volumes and available beds to help residents connect to nearby services. In June, an average of 13 of Carney’s 83 medical beds were filled and an average of 11 of Nashoba’s 46 beds were filled.

Patients at Carney and Nashoba Valley are encouraged to contact their providers to discuss referrals and make arrangements for the transfer of records.