Steward Health Care delays hospital sale proceedings

Steward Health Care, which aims to offload all its assets this summer as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, delayed the sale proceedings for about a dozen hospitals. 

Dallas-based Steward has a 31-hospital network across eight states. The bid deadline for its hospitals in Arizona and Massachusetts — along with St. Joseph Medical Center in Texas and the Stewardship Health physician network — has been pushed to July 15 from June 24, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

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The auction for those assets is planned for July 18, followed by a sale hearing July 31, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas filing. The auction had previously been scheduled for June 27, with the sale hearing formerly slated for July 2.

The planned bid deadline for the second round of sales, including Steward’s eight Florida hospitals, four Texas hospitals and any other assets, is still Aug. 12. 

The health system did not immediately comment on the filing.

Massachusetts lawmakers have been urging Steward to quickly sell its eight hospitals in the Commonwealth, but they reserve the right to review those sales, Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D) said in previous court filings.

Steward is in advanced discussions with UnitedHealth Group’s Optum to buy Stewardship, which is based in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission has not yet received a definitive agreement from Steward and Optum, a commission spokesperson said Wednesday.