Statement by Massachusetts Nurses Association In Response to Bankruptcy Court Judge's Approval of Asset Purchase Agreements for Six Steward Hospitals

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Sep 05, 2024, 08:42 ET

The Need Remains to Save Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents more than 2,800 registered nurses working in hospitals impacted by the Steward crisis was pleased to see U.S, Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez's approval yesterday of Asset Purchase Agreements that will secure new, responsible not-for-profit operators for Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton by Boston Medical Center, Holy Family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen by Lawrence General Hospital, and Morton Hospital in Taunton and Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River by Lifespan (located in Providence RI).

Under the Judge's ruling the transition to new ownership can proceed with a final closing date on the sales set for the end of September.

This is a long-awaited and very positive development for the communities and dedicated workforce at these facilities and we look forward to working with all parties to ensure a smooth transition for these facilities to new operators in the coming days and weeks. As part of that process the MNA has already engaged in conversations with the leadership of the new operators to begin the process of reviewing and addressing outstanding issues and concerns.

As we said upon the initial announcement of these agreements, our goal is to resolve transition issues amicably over the coming days to ensure the efficient delivery of care to these communities; as well as to ensure that our nurses and health professionals, who have held the line for these facilities and these communities throughout this process, will maintain their union contracts and all the rights and benefits the law says they are entitled to.

As to the fate of Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center, we continue to share and echo the concerns of the hundreds of community members, public officials, first responders and frontline caregivers, who participated recent, jam-packed DPH public hearings in their call for equally bold steps to be taken to save these facilities, as the loss of these hospitals would precipitate a public disaster for those communities.

The MNA continues to promote efforts by local public officials, the state and potential bidders to find a way to reopen both Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center as full-service hospitals.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association