The U.S. Senate has recently passed a resolution with the aim of holding Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt for his refusal to testify before a Senate panel. This measure was approved by unanimous consent, following a Senate committee’s adoption of the resolution last week. De la Torre had declined to attend a committee hearing despite being issued a subpoena, prompting the resolution to be sent to the full Senate for consideration.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, expressed that de la Torre’s decision to defy the subpoena left the committee with little choice but to pursue contempt charges. The criminal contempt resolution has now been referred to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia for potential prosecution of de la Torre for failing to comply with the subpoena. A representative for de la Torre has not yet provided a comment on the matter.
The committee, led by Sanders, sought answers from de la Torre about the reported deaths of 15 patients due to medical equipment shortages or staffing issues at Steward-owned hospitals. Additionally, they wanted clarification on why approximately 2,000 other patients were placed in immediate danger, according to federal regulators. The committee also aimed to delve into how de la Torre and his companies received significant compensation while patients, healthcare workers, and communities suffered due to financial mismanagement by Steward Health Care.
Senator Bill Cassidy noted that Steward’s actions, including those of de la Torre, had negative impacts on communities, affecting patient care across multiple states where Steward operates hospitals. In response to the committee’s request for testimony, de la Torre’s attorney, Alexander Merton, cited Fifth Amendment rights protection against self-incrimination, suggesting that testifying could frame de la Torre unjustly. However, he expressed willingness for de la Torre to testify at a later date.
Steward, a Texas-based healthcare provider operating around 30 hospitals nationwide, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Efforts to sell several hospitals in Massachusetts have been ongoing, with two hospitals, Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, closing due to inadequate bids. Despite this, the sale of other Massachusetts hospitals has been approved by a federal bankruptcy court.
Throughout the past decade, Sen. Edward Markey highlighted how Steward, under de la Torre’s leadership, prioritized profit over patient care, resulting in various consequences for hospitals, workers, and patients nationwide. Testimony from Ellen MacInnis, a nurse at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, shed light on instances of preventable harm and distress experienced by patients under Steward’s management, including the distressing situation of nurses having to use cardboard boxes for newborns’ remains.
In summary, the Senate’s resolution to hold de la Torre in criminal contempt underscores the gravity of the situation surrounding Steward Health Care and raises further questions about accountability in healthcare management and ensuring the well-being of patients and healthcare workers.