Photo: Getty Images
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Southcoast Health, a non-for-profit health system with three hospitals in Massachusetts, emerged as a potential buyer for Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River Friday.
The hospital's current operator, Steward Health Care, has been dealing with significant financial struggles, including millions of dollars in unpaid rent to its landlord, Medical Properties Trust.
On Feb. 20, Gov. Maura Healey called on Steward to hand off its seven Massachusetts hospitals to new operators "as soon as possible." The next day, Medical Properties Trust CEO Edward Aldag Jr. said they were "encouraged by the amount of interest received to date from other hospital operators for these mission-critical facilities."
Read More: Hospitals In Mass. Are 'Really Struggling,' Says House Health Care Chair
In a letter to the public released Friday, Southcoast Health President and CEO David O. McCready wrote, "St. Anne’s patients and employees are part of our community; they are our family members, friends and neighbors. This is why we are taking action to step up and care for our community as we always have, and why we are announcing our strong interest in having St. Anne’s Hospital join the Southcoast Health family."
McCready called Southcoast Health "the only health system that can offer the exceptional, comprehensive care and service that all the families of our region deserve," and wrote that the "best option for St. Anne’s Hospital, its patients, its employees, and our community, is for St. Anne’s to join the Southcoast Health family."
McCready concluded the letter saying Southcoast's next step was to "conduct thorough due diligence to determine whether an acquisition to any degree would be viable."
Southcoast Health already operates a hospital in Fall River, Charlton Memorial. The system also runs St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
When asked for a statement, a Steward representative responded, "Steward Health Care is working with state officials and others to transition ownership of the Massachusetts hospitals in a way that everyone agrees is best for patients, our employees, and the Commonwealth. We are committed to continuity of care in our communities, and we appreciate the strong level of interest we have received from numerous qualified health systems that could facilitate a smooth transition."
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok