Steward Health Care says it will abandon Norwood Hospital

NORWOOD - Steward Health Care said it will abandon Norwood Hospital and its four affiliated clinics, forcing patients at satellite facilities in Norwood and Foxboro to go elsewhere.

Norwood Hospital flooded in 2020

Norwood Hospital has been closed since a flood damaged the property four years ago, but it has run four satellite facilities. Steward said it will not longer operate those offices once their licenses expire in November.

State health officials said they are looking for options to continue care and hope a buyer comes forward for the hospital.

Norwood Hospital flooded in June 2020 , and construction to build a new facility stopped last February as Congressman Stephen Lynch said Steward Health Care had plans to abandon the reopening .

Embattled Steward Health Care

Steward Health Care filed for bankruptcy back in May and then put all of its U.S. hospitals up for sale .

Steward owned nine hospitals in Massachusetts. Two of them, Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, have closed , despite pushback from the community and lawmakers. Last month, Gov. Maura Healey formally seized St. Elizabeth's Medical Center through eminent domain.

Steward Health Care has been the focus of a CBS News investigation into how private equity and other investor groups have siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from community hospitals. Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre stepped down from his position after he was held in contempt by the U.S. Senate.