Change of Leadership at Steward Health Care

Ralph de la Torre, the CEO of Steward Health Care, has announced his departure from the company. This move comes after Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May. De la Torre was previously the CEO of Caritas Christi Health Care and a cardiac surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He was also held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about the company's bankruptcy. During his tenure at Steward, de la Torre focused on improving reimbursement rates for underprivileged patients. Despite his efforts, the company struggled financially, leading to the bankruptcy filing. De la Torre urged continued focus on this mission and believes that Steward's financial challenges have put a spotlight on Massachusetts's ongoing failure to fix its healthcare structure and the inequities in its state system. Steward's bankruptcy has had significant consequences for the company's hospitals. Gov. Maura Healey formally seized St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston through eminent domain to keep the hospital open. A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Steward's six remaining hospitals in Massachusetts, but the future of Norwood Hospital, which was under construction, remains unclear.