Health Care Crisis in Southeastern Massachusetts: Steward Health Care’s Unique Financing Setup Complicates Efforts to Find a Buyer and Reform the Health Care System

As a seasoned health care executive with experience at top hospitals and research institutions, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh has seen it all. But during a recent discussion addressing health care access, affordability, and staffing in southeastern Massachusetts, she described the situation at Steward Health Care as unprecedented.

The for-profit system, which operates under private equity backing, has complicated efforts to find a buyer due to its unique financing setup. Walsh believes that the system’s history of selling its physical properties and then leasing them back has made the hospitals less appealing to potential acquirers. Despite these challenges, Walsh remains committed to finding a solution that prioritizes patient care, family support, and health care reform in eastern Massachusetts.

As discussions about the future of Steward Health Care continue, Walsh and her team are focused on exploring creative solutions to ensure that patients receive the care they need and that the broader health care system in the region can be reformed. With a team of experts dedicated to finding the best path forward, Walsh remains optimistic that they will be able to overcome these challenges and achieve their goals.