# Steward Health Care CEO Under Senate Fire Over Hospital Failures and Patient Fatalities
On September 12, 2024, Ralph de la Torre, the chief executive officer of Steward Health Care System, was conspicuously missing from a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing. De la Torre, a cardiac surgeon trained at Harvard who assumed leadership of Steward Health Care in 2020, was called to testify concerning the purported mismanagement of his hospital network, which has been criticized for prioritizing profits over patient welfare, resulting in extreme understaffing, shortages of resources, and patient fatalities. Although de la Torre was subpoenaed, his legal representatives asserted that active bankruptcy proceedings hindered his appearance, a claim dismissed by the Senate committee.
## The Senate Hearing: An Absent CEO and Escalating Accusations
The hearing, led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), aimed to discuss the alarming conditions within Steward’s hospitals, which encompass more than 30 locations across eight states. Lawmakers expressed their frustration and anger at de la Torre’s absence, as they wished to interrogate him about his financial benefits during the downfall of his hospital system. Reports indicate that de la Torre received $250 million while his hospitals grappled with significant shortages, culminating in patient fatalities and distress.
### “Share Your Yacht Story”
Senator Sanders did not hold back in his critique of de la Torre’s choice to miss the hearing. “He made the choice not to appear because he does not want to justify to the American public how atrocious his greed has become,” Sanders stated. “Tell me about your yacht. Share about your fishing boat. I want to hear your reasoning behind that. Convey that to the community where staff were terminated while you amassed $250 million.”
Despite de la Torre’s absence, the hearing continued with testimony from nurses and state officials who witnessed the declining conditions in Steward’s hospitals first-hand. Their testimonies painted a bleak portrait of a healthcare system in turmoil.
## Disturbing Testimonies: Nurses Step Forward
Two nurses from Massachusetts, Ellen MacInnis and Audra Sprague, delivered some of the most distressing testimonies at the hearing. They depicted a healthcare system that had been depleted of resources, placing both patients and staff in extremely hazardous situations.
### “It Destroys You”
Ellen MacInnis, a nurse at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, illustrated the catastrophic consequences of ongoing understaffing and resource shortages. She recounted how patients in Steward emergency rooms frequently waited hours or even days for care, with some succumbing before being treated. One particularly tragic case involved an 81-year-old pancreatic cancer patient who perished while awaiting chemotherapy. “By the time staff reached him, he was gone,” MacInnis revealed. During that shift, there were 95 patients in the emergency department but merely 11 nurses, resulting in a patient-to-nurse ratio exceeding double the advised standard.
MacInnis also noted a severe lack of essential supplies, including diapers, baby formula, and even food. Nurses had to purchase these necessities themselves from around-the-clock stores. In one shocking example, the hospital ran out of bereavement boxes utilized for transporting the remains of deceased infants. Nurses were compelled to use cardboard shipping boxes, a situation that visibly affected MacInnis during her testimony.
The emotional strain of working in such conditions was immense. “It destroys you,” MacInnis stated, describing the moral injury and psychological distress endured by healthcare providers who were unable to give proper care to their patients.
### “Healthcare Criminals”
Audra Sprague, a former nurse at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, echoed MacInnis’ sentiments. She detailed how Steward systematically stripped resources from her hospital, culminating in its closure on August 31, 2024. By the time the hospital shut down, only 18 to 20 of its 57 licensed medical beds remained operational. The closure has left local residents without a nearby hospital, obliging them to travel long distances to overcrowded facilities.
Sprague did not hold back in her denunciation of Steward’s executives. “It is abundantly clear to me that the leaders of Steward Health Group are healthcare criminals. They are taking lives from our patients, they are decimating our communities, and they must face consequences,” she stated.
## Louisiana Officials Weigh In
The hearing also featured testimonies from Louisiana state leaders, who reported similar challenges at Steward-operated facilities within their jurisdiction. Representative Michael Echols (R-La.) recalled a state hearing from April, during which Glenwood Regional Medical Center’s interim CEO acknowledged that Steward’s financial mismanagement contributed to patient fatalities. “Due to their mismanagement, they have harmed and killed patients,” Echols asserted.
The situation at Glenwood Regional Medical Center mirrored the accounts shared by nurses in Massachusetts: understaffing, equipment malfunctions, and a lack of essential supplies.
