Steward Health Care's closing of Carney Hospital will not be stopped by Boston or state of Massachusetts
BOSTON - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Boston Public Health Commission have no plans to take over Carney Hospital by eminent domain, officials told a crowd of Carney employees on Tuesday night.
Carney Hospital will still close by August 31
Dozens of employees of the Dorchester community hospital came to a public meeting required by law because of Carney's proposed closure. What some thought could be a last-ditch effort to influence stakeholders turned into a stark reality.
"Declaring a public health emergency will not give the city, Mayor Wu, or I the regulatory authority, the licensure ability, or most importantly the money that it will take to run Carney Hospital, even in the short term," Boston Public Health Commission Director Dr. Bisola Ojikutu told the crowd.
Just days ago, Boston City Council voted in favor of a resolution asking the Commission to declare a state of emergency.
The company that owns Carney, Steward Health Care, has asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to close the hospital by August 31, nearly two months ahead of the 120-day period required by state law.
Dr. Octavio Diaz, president of Steward's Northeast Region, said the company will try to help patients and employees leave Carney smoothly.
"We're working diligently to ensure that our primary care physicians and specialists remain within the Carney area at the Seaton medical building next door," Diaz said.
Hotline for patients seeking care
Steward will also provide a hotline for patients seeking healthcare elsewhere and plans to give MBTA passes to patients seeking imaging at other facilities.
Carney employees say they have still received little information about payouts from the company.
"We want our PTO! We want our severance!" some were heard chanting before the meeting at Dorchester's Florian Hall.
Ojikutu said Mayor Michelle Wu is working to ensure that the Carney property will be used for healthcare purposes.
After Tuesday's meeting and a virtual meeting on Wednesday, DPH officials will either approve Carney's closure or deem the hospital essential. Either way, the state does not have the power to force a hospital to stay open.
Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer are both slated to close as part of Steward's bankruptcy proceedings. The state is still fighting to make sure the company's five other hospitals in the state stay open with Governor Healey pledging $30 million to that end.
