Senate HELP Committee votes to hold Steward CEO in contempt
Fifteen patients at Steward hospitals have died due to a lack of medical equipment or staffing shortages, says Chairman Bernie Sanders.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, gives opening remarks during a hearing Thursday on two contempt resolutions against Steward Health Care CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre.
Photo: Screenshot of Senate HELP Committee Contempt Resolutions hearing
In an unanimous bipartisan vote on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held Steward Health CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torres in civil and criminal contempt for his failure to comply with a subpoena to appear before the committee.
Both resolutions now go before the full Senate for a vote.
The criminal contempt resolution will be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute de la Torre, according to The Hill. Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor, and could be penalized with fines or imprisonment.
In opening statements, HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said, "We wanted to know how it could happen that at least 15 patients at hospitals owned by his company died as a result of lack of medical equipment or staffing shortages and that at least 2,000 other patients were put in serious risk, according to federal regulators."
The committee wanted to know, he said, "how it could happen that while thousands of patients and healthcare workers suffered and communities around the country have been devastated, Dr. de la Torre and the companies he owned were able to receive at least $250 million in total compensation over the past four years."
WHY THIS MATTERS
The HELP Committee has been investigating the bankruptcy of Steward Health and wanted de la Torre to appear to answer questions.
Bankruptcy plans included the sale of Steward's 31 hospitals. Two in Massachusetts have since closed.
On Sept. 12, the day de la Torre was supposed to appear before the HELP Committee, witnesses such as nurses in Massachusetts and public officials in Louisiana testified about the financial mismanagement of the Steward Health Care. The greed of its CEO, according to Sanders' statements, caused "devastating harm to patients, healthcare workers and entire communities."
THE LARGER TREND
Dr. de la Torre has repeatedly refused to appear before the HELP committee, Sanders said.
"For months, this committee has invited Dr. de la Torre to testify about the financial mismanagement of Steward Health Care," Sanders said. "Time after time he has arrogantly refused."
Before de la Torre's scheduled appearance on September 12, his attorney Alexander Merton, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, sent a letter to the committee saying it would be inappropriate for his client to appear while bankruptcy proceedings were ongoing. He suggested the hearing be rescheduled.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
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