Haverhill

Congressional Delegation Calls for Possible Contempt Charges Against Steward CEO

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As the head of the failed Steward Health Care refuses to comply with a subpoena to testify before a congressional committee, Sen. Edward J. Markey is calling for Ralph de la Torre to be held in contempt of Congress, be fired as Steward CEO and lose his medical degree. At a press conference, Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Lori Trahan and labor leaders from 1199 SEIU and Massachusetts Nurses Association responded to de la Torre’s plans to skip a Sept. 12 Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee meeting. HELP Chair Bernie Sanders and bipartisan colleagues voted July 25 to subpoena de la Torre to testify at a meeting titled “Examining the Bankruptcy of Steward Health Care: How Management Decisions Have Impacted Patient Care.” It was the first time the Senate HELP Committee issued a subpoena since 1981. “Ralph de la Torre has shown contempt for our health care system and now the United States Senate must bring contempt charges against Ralph de la Torre.

Haverhill

Lawrence General Hospital Plans to Take Control of Holy Family Oct. 1; Predicts ‘Something Profound’

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As a bankruptcy court judge Wednesday approved the sales of most Steward Health Care hospitals, Lawrence General Hospital told employees and physicians it is poised to take operational control of Holy Family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen in less than a month. Officials welcomed staff and the public in messages on Lawrence General Hospital’s website. “This is an historic moment for health care and for all of us in the Merrimack Valley as patients, community members, employees, providers and community partners are going to be part of something profound. For Lawrence General, as a non-profit, independent community hospital, we are motivated by our mission to provide quality care and lead from the heart. That’s what our patients deserve.

Haverhill

Lawrence General Hospital Agrees to $28 Million Holy Family Deal; Haverhill to Lose $250K in Taxes

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After months of uncertainty over the fate of the Haverhill campus of Holy Family Hospital, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett was among the first in the state to receive word Thursday that it has been preserved. Barrett told WHAV she received the early afternoon word that Lawrence General Hospital had completed an asset purchase agreement to take over Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen. “It’s a big sigh of relief. We don’t really know the details. We don’t know how everything will look a year from now with Lawrence General having these three facilities and what they’ll do to affect care and streamline their care,” the mayor said.

Haverhill

Court Allows Delay in Holy Family, Other Hospital Sales; Payano Says Improvements are Coming

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A U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruling on the pending sales of Holy Family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen and other Steward Health Care properties will have to wait until at least next week after a planned hearing Tuesday was postponed again. Sen. Pavel M. Payano, speaking on WHAV this week, said the state will backup Lawrence General Hospital’s purchase of Holy Family, but changes will be noticeable. “We were able to work out a deal with the state. The state is supporting that project so both hospitals will remain open. The Haverhill hospital will probably look a little bit different than what it did before,” he said.

Haverhill

Officials: Lawrence General Moved Ahead Despite Finding ‘Stripped and Run Down’ Haverhill Hospital

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Haverhill leaders Tuesday night thanked Lawrence General Hospital for moving to save Holy Family Hospital’s Haverhill campus while also learning of the deteriorated conditions there that almost derailed the deal. Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she talked with Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Abha Agrawal several times over the last seven months about the hospital’s vision and proposal. “Things got a little dicey when they went into the hospital to put eyes on what was there and, I think, their hesitation stems from what I gather the infrastructure had been so neglected, stripped and run down that what they thought they could do they had doubts about whether they could pull it off,” she said. Council President Thomas J. Sullivan placed the matter on the agenda, saying some reorganization may be required to keep the Haverhill hospital viable. “We’re hopeful that they will obviously keep an emergency room, that they may get creative with the other uses of the building—whether it’s going to be traditional medical departments or whether it’s going to be some new, creative innovative medical facility.

Health

State Awards Mosaic Opioid Recovery Grant to Psychological Center in Lawrence

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The Psychological Center in Lawrence is among the first to be awarded a state grant through the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership, a new program for communities and populations that have been historically underserved and experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths. Mosaic is a collaboration between the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and RIZE Massachusetts to increase the allocation of Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund grants to small community-based organizations and municipalities that often face significant obstacles and barriers to accessing more traditional funding opportunities. “Too many Massachusetts families have been devastated by the impacts of substance use disorder and we have been doing everything in our power to reduce overdoses and save lives,” said Gov. Maura T. Healey. “These awards underscore our commitment to equitable access to necessary resources for prevention, recovery and treatment programs in communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.”

The Psychological Center is among 18 groups sharing in the first round of $3.75 million. Deirdre Calvert, director of Bureau, said the money comes from the recent opioid settlement.

Exclusive

Holy Family Staff, Community Celebrate Haverhill Hospital Save, Show Concern Over Consolidation

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(Additional photographs below.)

Formal word that Lawrence General Hospital will take over at Holy Family Hospital in both Methuen and Haverhill brought cheers but still some anxiety this weekend among those who have seen the process of unwinding Steward Health Care hit roadblocks before. Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Merrimack Valley Project and the public gathered Saturday morning at the Haverhill Public Library to cautiously celebrate, while planning next steps. Lawrence-based nonprofit Merrimack Valley Project Executive Director Michael “Lefty” Morrill told WHAV why everyone must remain vigilant. “We’re celebrating. We’re really excited that Lawrence General has agreed to keep both Holy Family Hospitals open.

Haverhill

Leaders at all Levels Welcome Lawrence General Hospital’s Acquisition of Holy Family Hospital

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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.