Reaction to Friday’s news confirming that Lawrence General Hospital would take over both the Methuen and Haverhill campuses of Holy Family Hospital generally brought praise and celebration.
Local, state and federal elected officials hailed word that Steward Health Care’s days in the Commonwealth are nearing an end following Gov. Maura T. Healey’s announcement.
“Lawrence General Hospital will purchase both hospital campuses of Holy Family in Haverhill and Methuen. We are grateful for their partnership and their commitment to not only maintaining the quality of care, but to improving the quality of care in these communities, and I am personally so grateful that these entities are now taking over as acquirers of these hospitals,” the governor said.
Shortly after Healey’s press conference, Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Abha Agrawal expressed optimism in a statement.
“With support from the Commonwealth, we look forward to finalizing and signing an agreement that will allow Holy Family Hospital, both the Methuen and Haverhill campuses, to join Lawrence General Hospital to build a true regional healthcare care system in the Merrimack Valley.”
Agrawal said she is “grateful to the many stakeholders who have helped in this process, including our federal and state legislative delegations, local officials and the unions who represent employees at Holy Family Hospital.”
Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, Sens. Barry R. Finegold and Pavel M. Payano, Reps. Andy X. Vargas and Ryan M. Hamilton, in a joint statement, welcomed Lawrence General Hospital, calling the nonprofit “a longstanding partner in the region.”
“The residents of Haverhill and surrounding communities deserve access to the same high-quality healthcare that all of Massachusetts enjoys,” the statement read. They also thanked the “unwavering dedication” of nurses and staff at Holy Family Haverhill and Methuen.
Haverhill’s federal delegation, including U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan and Sens. Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, all praised the breakthrough, but continued to excoriate Steward.
Trahan, for example, referred to private-equity-led Steward Health’s “recklessness,” and pledged to “advance federal legislation to hold bad actors accountable so that this scenario never happens again.” While mourning the loss of Nashoba Valley Hospital, the congresswoman thanked Lawrence General Hospital for its “commitment to a regional solution to ensure patient access to care.”
Markey called Friday’s developments “a major step forward in getting Steward out of Massachusetts” and pressed for passage of his “Health Over Wealth Act” that will “guarantee permanent guardrails for corporate greed.”
Markey added “Every corporate investor that played a role in Steward’s financial downfall must be held accountable. CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre must appear before the United States Senate, and we must
Warren said “Good riddance to disgraced CEO Ralph de la Torre who leaves behind a legacy of ruin, including two hospital closures.” She also called for landlords and lenders Medical Properties Trust, Macquarie and Apollo “greedy” companies that “lined their pockets at the expense of Massachusetts communities.”