A Steward Health Care representative said Tuesday that in spite of the challenges of operating a community hospital in Massachusetts, the organization has no plans to close Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.
In a statement to the Harvard Press, Steward spokesperson Deborah Chiaravalloti wrote, “We have no plans to close Nashoba Valley Medical Center or any of our hospitals in Massachusetts, and we remain dedicated to serving the Commonwealth and the patients in our communities.”
In her statement, Chiaravalloti wrote: “First and foremost, Nashoba Valley Medical Center is a community hospital, and we are deeply committed to our mission of improving the lives of patients and their families in North Central Massachusetts.”
Meanwhile, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge told the Press in a phone interview that he and others in the Nashoba Valley legislative delegation, including state Sen. John Cronin and state Rep. Danillo Sena, had been briefed by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services last Friday on the status of Steward hospitals in the region. He said he was encouraged that the state is in touch with Steward executives and is closely monitoring the situation, but that he had been left with the clear impression that Steward wishes to sell one or more of its nine Massachusetts hospitals.
A challenging environment
Steward’s statement was in response to requests by the Press for specific information about the status of Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The statement did not confirm or deny rumors that Nashoba is for sale, nor did it provide any details concerning the hospital’s financial viability or the percentage of its patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid, as requested by the Press. Steward officials have told other news outlets, however, that nearly three-quarters of their patients in Massachusetts are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, which pay less than private insurers pay for medical services.
Chiaravalloti, however, did state that operating community hospitals in Massachusetts is a challenge. “In addition to chronically low reimbursement rates, we operate our community hospitals in a health care system that is fundamentally not designed to prioritize the health care needs of vulnerable, disadvantaged, and underserved populations that often need us the most,” she wrote.
Nevertheless, she continued, “Steward is advancing an action plan to put the necessary tools in place to create stability that will benefit Nashoba Valley Medical Center and our entire system.” As reported elsewhere, Medical Properties Trust, which owns the buildings at Nashoba, and perhaps other parties have provided bridge loans of unreported duration to Steward that are allowing it to continue to operate while it sorts through its financial difficulties.
In his comments to the Press, Eldridge said, “I think the concern is that Nashoba Valley Medical Center is not a ‘profit-making hospital’ because it’s in a rural area,” making it likely to be one of the hospitals that is sold, he said. While it would be good to no longer have Steward overseeing Nashoba’s operation, Eldridge continued, questions would remain regarding who would own it and whether that owner would invest properly in the hospital. “It speaks to the continued problem with our for-profit health care system,” said Eldridge, a longtime advocate for state-managed Medicare for all.
In her Tuesday statement to the Press, Chiaravalloti reported that 457 doctors and health providers have privileges at Nashoba Valley Medical Center. “Some are employed, some are affiliated, but the most important point is that they all have privileges to care for their patients and use the services at Nashoba,” she wrote in a later email. In addition, the hospital employs 151 nurses as well as administrative and service staff for a total of 523 employees.
The facility serves residents of 15 Nashoba Valley municipalities: Acton, Ayer, Bolton, Boxborough, Devens, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Stow, Townsend, and Westford. “Those are the cities and towns that use NVMC because of its proximity to them,” she said.
Statement from Steward Health Care to the Harvard Press
First and foremost, Nashoba Valley Medical Center is a community hospital, and we are deeply committed to our mission of improving the lives of patients and their families in North Central Massachusetts. Like all hospitals, we have faced unprecedented challenges over the past few years, however, providing excellent, compassionate care to our patients is our focus day in and day out.
In addition to chronically low reimbursement rates, we operate our community hospitals in a health care system that is fundamentally not designed to prioritize the health care needs of vulnerable, disadvantaged, and underserved populations that often need us the most. Steward is advancing an action plan to put the necessary tools in place to create stability that will benefit Nashoba Valley Medical Center and our entire system.
Despite these challenges, we are proud of the role that we and our dedicated team of physicians, nurses and staff have played in Massachusetts over the past decade as the key caregiver to some of the most vulnerable citizens and communities. We have no plans to close Nashoba Valley Medical Center or any of our hospitals in Massachusetts and we remain dedicated to serving the Commonwealth and the patients in our communities.
Deborah Chiaravalloti, Steward Health Care
