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July 26, 2024

Rep. Pressley’s Statement on Steward Hospital Closures

Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Which Serves Vulnerable Patients in Massachusetts 7th, Among Hospitals Set to Close

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the announcement by Steward Health Care of the closure of hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital in Dorchester.

“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.”

In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Steward’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and failure to protect patients and workers.

In February 2024, Rep. Pressley joined members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation in seeking answers from Cerebrus on the private equity firm’s role in creating the current financial challenges at Steward hospitals, which threaten access to medical care for thousands of people in eastern Massachusetts.

In January 2024, following a Boston Globe report indicating that Steward Health Care System is in dire financial condition, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Warren, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation pressed Steward to brief them on Steward’s financial position, the status of their Massachusetts facilities, and their plans to ensure the communities they serve are not abandoned. 

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