Massachusetts governor says there’s nothing she can do to prevent 2 hospitals from closing

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Massachusetts has agreed to provide about $30 million to help support the operations of six hospitals that Steward Health Care is trying to turn over to new owners after declaring bankruptcy earlier this year, according to court filings. The latest update comes as Steward announced in July that it was closing two hospitals—Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center—because it received no qualified bids for either facility. In a court filing, Steward announced it had received a commitment from Massachusetts “to provide approximately $30 million of funding support for the hospitals’ operations as they are transitioned to new operators in the near term.” The Dallas-based company also said in the court filing that the company remains steadfast in its goal of doing everything within its power to keep its 31 hospitals open. In May, Steward said it planned to sell off all its hospitals after announcing that it had filed for bankruptcy protection. The company’s hospitals are scattered across eight states. The $30 million is meant to ensure that Steward’s hospitals in Massachusetts can continue to operate through the end of August, according to Gov. Maura Healey’s administration. The funding will help make sure patients can continue to access care and workers can keep their jobs until Carney and Nashoba Valley close and the remaining five hospitals are transitioned to new owners. Carney Hospital is located in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center is in Ayer, a town about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Boston. The payments are advances on Medicaid funds that the state owes Steward and are being provided contingent upon an orderly movement toward new ownership. The $30 million is also contingent on Steward hitting milestones and cannot be used for rental payments, debt service, or management fees. Healey said “not a dime” of the $30 million will go to Steward but will instead help ensure a smooth transition to new ownership. This article was provided by The Associated Press.