Steward Health CEO Could be Held in Contempt of Congress

September 19, 2024

Steward Health CEO Could be Held in Contempt of Congress

Following Steward CEO refusal to testify in response to a Congressional subpoena

Washington D.C. - Today, the Senate HELP Committee voted to move forward on tworesolutionsto hold Steward Health CEO Dr. Ralph De La Torre in contempt of Congress after he was subpoenaed and refused to attend a Committee hearinglast Thursday.

The Senate HELP Committee had previously ordered De La Torre to appear before senators to answer for the actions of Steward Health Care following a string of hospital closures and bankruptcy declaration. In a recent report, Congressional staff found higher rates of death at some Steward-owned hospitals than the national average and that at least 4,400 Steward hospital workers lost their jobs after eight hospital closures across four states in the past decade. More hospital sales and potential closures are pending as Steward's bankruptcy proceedings continue.

Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert said it was important that Senate HELP took the vote to hold Dr. De La Torre accountable.

"Steward's CEO tried to dodge a subpoena to testify before the HELP Committee and now he is rightfully facing consequences," said Gilbert. "The HELP Committee's actions today are an important reminder that no one is above the law. Congress and the American people deserve answers on what happened under Dr. De La Torre's watch at Steward, as his damaging actions had real consequences for patient health. Dr. De La Torre and others like him should not be able to ignore Congressional subpoenas without accountability. "