Dallas-based Steward Health Care, a for-profit health system, has been facing financial difficulties and controversies since it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection May 6 and is now working to sell its 31 hospitals.
Here are 10 major updates on Steward Health Care since Sept. 10:
1. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved Scottsdale-based HonorHealth's purchase of three Steward hospitals in Arizona during an Oct. 3 hearing.
2. Three Steward hospital acquisitions were finalized Oct. 4. R.I.-based Lifespan acquired Taunton, Mass.-based Morton Hospital and Fall River, Mass.-based St. Anne's Hospital. Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital took over operations at Holy Family Hospital-Haverhill (Mass.) and Holy Family Hospital-Methuen (Mass.). Finally, Boston Medical Center took over operations at Boston-based St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and Brockton, Mass.-based Good Samaritan Medical Center.
3. Steward Chairman and CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, separated from the system Oct. 1.
"While Dr. de la Torre has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms, he will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population," a Steward spokesperson said in a Sept. 28 statement. "Dr. de la Torre urges continued focus on this mission and believes Steward's financial challenges put a much-needed spotlight on Massachusetts' ongoing failure to fix its healthcare structure and the inequities in its state system."
4. The separation comes after the U.S. Senate unanimously voted Sept. 25 to hold Dr. de la Torre in contempt for skipping a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing he was subpoenaed to attend earlier in the month.
5. Dr. de la Torre sued the HELP Committee and its members in response Sept. 30 in federal court, alleging unconstitutional punishment for invoking his Fifth Amendment right to not testify.
6. On Sept. 27, Gov. Maura Healey seized control of Steward's St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Mass., through eminent domain to ensure the hospital remains open and transfers operations to Boston Medical Center.
7. On Sept. 20, Christus Health Ark-La-Tex, part of Irving, Texas-based Christus Health, announced it is assuming operations of Steward's Wadley Regional Medical Center in Texarkana, Texas.
8. During a Sept. 12 court hearing, Steward received approval from Mr. Lopez to sell Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope (Ark.) to Hope-based Pafford Health Systems for $200,000.
9. Mr. Lopez authorized an interim settlement agreement for Steward on Sept. 11 to transition many of its remaining hospitals to its landlord, Medical Properties Trust, or applicable designated operators.
10. Mr. Lopez approved the sale of three Steward hospitals in Florida to Orlando (Fla.) Health for $439.42 million in cash in a Sept. 10 court hearing.