Several political leaders, including Massachusetts U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, criticized the CEO of a troubled health care system for refusing to cooperate with a Senate committee subpoena. Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre’s lawyers claimed a federal court order prevented him from testifying due to ongoing reorganization and settlement efforts related to the company’s bankruptcy filed in May. Warren and Markey dismissed these reasons, accusing de la Torre of avoiding accountability.
Steward Health Care, operating around 30 hospitals nationwide, faced challenges with selling its Massachusetts hospitals. Despite selling some hospitals following bankruptcy court approval, hospitals like Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center closed after insufficient bids. De la Torre, in a letter to Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, did not rule out future testimony before the committee.
Speaking at a press conference, Markey criticized de la Torre for evading accountability, stating that he should answer to the public, Congress, and Massachusetts patients and workers. Warren suggested de la Torre could cite his constitutional right against self-incrimination if needed, questioning his avoidance of responsibility. She argued for de la Torre’s removal from Steward, claiming he believes he is exempt from consequences.
Lawyers for de la Torre expressed concerns to Sanders about the Senate committee’s intentions to portray the hearing as a quasi-criminal proceeding rather than fact-finding. Sanders emphasized the need to bring de la Torre to testify, denouncing his actions as greed-driven and harmful to hospitals and patients nationwide. The committee could pursue criminal contempt, leading to a trial and jail time, or civil contempt involving fines until de la Torre testifies, both options requiring a Senate vote.
De la Torre had also declined invitations to testify at an earlier Boston field hearing chaired by Markey.
