Reactions continue to pour in to Steward Health Care's announcement today that they plan to close Carney Hospital in August.

Governor Maura Healey

“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.”

US Senator Ed Markey

“The callousness demonstrated for the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts is nothing short of astonishing. Steward Health Care – led by Dr. de la Torre and facilitated by private equity and real estate investment trusts – intentionally purchased safety net hospitals that communities rely on, and they ran them into the ground in their efforts to extract maximum profits. But Dr. de la Torre and his private equity cronies will not get away with this.

“There is still a process that Steward Health Care must follow that has been set out by the bankruptcy court and the law. So far, Steward has flouted transparency requirements and their obligations to serve their patients – but the eyes of the Commonwealth, the country, and the United States Senate are upon them. Steward must do everything in its power to keep the five hospitals that received bids open and ensure everyone who relies on Steward for their health care can maintain their access to care.

“To the health care workers impacted by Steward’s decisions: I am grateful for your continued work to serve your patients. You are doing God’s work. To the communities who rely on these hospitals: these hospitals are still open, and I will keep working to make sure your access to care is protected.”

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren

“This is outrageous. The closures of Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center are the direct consequence of looting by Steward executives, private equity investors, and corporate landlords at the expense of patients, health care workers, and Massachusetts communities. I won’t stop fighting hard to hold Steward executives accountable, and I’ll continue working with Governor Healey to help protect health care in these communities.

“CEO Ralph de la Torre and Steward’s entire executive team need to be stripped from their roles at the company, and investigated for any wrongdoing. State and federal lawmakers need to do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again, starting with Congress passing my Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act.”

Mayor Michelle Wu

“Steward’s decision to close Carney Hospital is its latest failure for the people of Boston. The City is committed to working closely with the state to explore all possible paths forward to ensure access to care for Dorchester residents and beyond, particularly emergency and acute care services. We are grateful to all of the dedicated staff of Carney Hospital for their commitment to our community, and we will work closely with those workers, their unions, and all community stakeholders as we move forward.”

US Rep. Ayanna Pressley

“Every day we are seeing the damning consequences of Steward Health Care’s mismanagement and greed, and its closure of Carney Hospital in Dorchester is absolutely devastating. Like so many healthcare facilities in my district, Carney serves some of the most vulnerable patients in the Commonwealth, including veterans, low-income, Black, and brown folks, and non-English speakers. This closure will only put their lives further at risk, worsen existing health disparities, and place an even heavier burden on Community Health Centers in the Massachusetts 7th, which are already stretched thin.

“We can no longer allow Steward executives to put their own interests ahead of the patients and workers they serve, and they must be held fully accountable for creating this public health crisis. I will continue working with the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our federal partners to ensure care remains accessible and Steward’s other facilities remain open. And we must legislate to rein in private equity and fix our broken healthcare system that puts profit over people.”

City Councillor John FitzGerald — District 3

"I am deeply troubled by Steward Health Care’s announcement to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester. This decision is not just a business move; it's a blow to our community. The profound failure in leadership and management by Steward will severely impact patient care in our community and lead to significant job losses.

Carney Hospital has been a cornerstone of healthcare in Dorchester for generations. Its closure will be devastating to both the patients who rely on its services and the employees who have dedicated their lives to serving our community. Steward Health Care’s inability to find a qualified bidder is a direct result of their mismanagement and greed, as highlighted by Governor Healey.

The loss of these healthcare services is unacceptable, and I vow to do everything within my power to support the affected patients and employees. I am already working closely with state and federal agencies, community leaders, and healthcare advocates to explore all possible avenues to keep these services open and available to the surrounding communities.

This fight is far from over, and I stand ready to advocate for the residents of Dorchester and ensure that our community continues to have access to the quality healthcare it deserves."

State Senator Nick Collins

“The State should not allow for an expedited closure of Carney Hospital. That would play into the hands of MPT and their strategy to sell the assets at an inflated value and fly away with a windfall. We need to do everything we can to keep Carney Hospital open so that a qualified bidder can come in after bringing the inflated value down to earth.”

City Councillor Brian Worrell, District 4

"The news of the Carney closure is devastating for patients and staff and is a direct result of putting profits over patients. My office will work with any patients or staff to help connect them to resources in the coming month, and I hope the state will continue to work on medical care solutions for the Carney community. We must create laws to keep private equity out of health care, whether it's pharmacies, urgent care centers or hospitals."

State Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley

“The closure of Carney Hospital is disappointing but not surprising given Steward's track record. It's essential that we look towards the future with optimism, hoping that the Carney facility can be repurposed to benefit the Dorchester community. This moment highlights the need for greater accountability and responsible management in our healthcare system. The House’s proposed legislation aims to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. It includes critical updates on how the Commonwealth regulates and monitors the healthcare market, taking lessons from the Steward Health Care crisis. We remain committed to ensuring that the community's needs are met during this transition."

Filaine Deronnette, 1199SEIU Vice President At-Large

“Steward Health Care’s decision to close Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center is devastating, which will create hospital deserts and exacerbate health inequities in the communities they serve. Patients across Massachusetts will now ultimately pay the price of Steward’s mismanagement if care is pushed miles away and ER capacities reach crisis level. The future of care in Massachusetts is at risk. The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU urge all stakeholders to establish and implement a transition plan that helps mitigate the reduction of care in these communities.”

Dana Simon, Massachusetts Nurses Association

"These two hospitals are absolutely essential to the lives, health and safety of 10s of thousands of people in the communities they serve. The loss of these hospitals will not only impact these patients and communities, but will also compromise the care for patients served by other hospitals in the region, hospitals that are already overwhelmed and will now be forced to absorb those patients abandoned as a result of these closures.

"The nurses and health professionals who have held the line throughout this crisis call on the state and federal governments to ensure the continued operation of these hospitals, because no community is expendable and closure is not an viable or acceptable option. In the interim, we call on the state to enforce its law forbidding hospital closures with less than 120 days’ notice to allow the state time to find a means of preserving these hospitals for the care of these vulnerable communities."

James Hunt II, president emeritus Mass League of Community Health Centers and past board member at Carney Hospital

“It’s very sad the promised investments from Steward were not made in Carney Hospital, which continues —even now— to offer great care to patients and our community, especially through its nurses. It’s most unfortunate that other systems have not stepped up to reinvest in this community institution.”

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