Attorney General's Office Schedules Six Hearings Regarding Proposed Caritas-Cerberus Transaction

BOSTON - Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office has scheduled a series of six regional public hearings, to be conducted jointly with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), regarding the proposed transfer of Caritas Christi Health System to Steward Health Care System LLC, an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. A hearing will be held in each of the six communities served by Caritas hospitals during late June and early July 2010.

Massachusetts state law provides for a review by the Attorney General's Office of any transfer of a non-profit acute care hospital to a for-profit entity. Following that review, final approval of the transaction must be granted by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). Today's filing of the notice of the proposed transaction marks the commencement of the Attorney General's review process. The filing is available on the Attorney General's website.

The following hearings will all be held at 6:00 p.m.:

June 8, 2010 - Good Samaritan Medical Center service area
Manthala George Jr. Elementary School
180 Colonel Bell Drive
Brockton, MA

June 16, 2010 - Norwood Hospital service area
Coakley Middle School
1350 Washington Street
Norwood, MA

June 22, 2010 - St. Elizabeth's Medical Center service area
Brighton High School
25 Warren Street
Brighton, MA

June 24, 2010 - St. Anne's Hospital service area
Bristol Community College
777 Elsbree Street
Fall River, MA

June 29, 2010 - Holy Family Hospital service area
Tenney Middle School
75 Pleasant Street
Methuen, MA

July 1, 2010 - Carney Hospital service area
Local 103 IBEW
256 Freeport Street
Dorchester, MA

In addition to the public hearings, that Attorney General's Office will also accept written comments during the review process. Individuals or groups who wish to submit comments may do so by mail or email:

Mail:
Attorney General's Office
Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division
Attn: Sara Rau, Caritas Transaction Review
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108

Email: caritas@state.ma.us

The Attorney General's Office anticipates that, given the size of the transaction, the review process will take a number of months. Once the Office has completed its review, written findings will be prepared and issued. For the transaction to then proceed, approvals will be required from both the Department of Public Health and the Supreme Judicial Court.

##########