Steward CEO was on vacation at Olympics during announcement of Carney, Nashoba Valley closures

Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre was on vacation two weeks ago when his company revealed that it planned to close two hospitals in Massachusetts, but he didn’t have a hand in the decision or any say in the timing of the announcement, a spokesperson for the embattled executive said Thursday.

Steward announced July 26 that it did not receive any bids that could be approved in bankruptcy court for Carney Hospital in Dorchester or Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, and that the hospitals would close at the end of August, sooner than state rules generally allow. Boston Globe columnist Brian McGrory reported Wednesday night that de la Torre was in France -- and specifically at the Olympic dressage events being held at the opulent Palace of Versailles -- as Steward filed the court papers to make the hospital closures official.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter . | Watch Boston 25 News NOW