HOUSTON – A judge approved the sale of five Massachusetts hospitals owned by Steward Health Care on Wednesday during a long-awaited bankruptcy hearing in Texas.
Wednesday’s hearing had previously been postponed several times, which forced the state to spend millions of dollars to keep the medical centers open.
The hospitals that were sold are St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Holy Family Hospital’s locations in Methuen and Haverhill.
Steward closed Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Saturday .
The Archdiocese of Boston had concerns about the sale, asking for the new owners to remove symbols of Catholic identity if they don’t plan to operate as Catholic health care facilities.
Wednesday’s hearing was held in Houston, Texas.
Steward filed for bankruptcy reorganization in May and began exploring plans to sell dozens of hospitals it owned across the country.