"Unsettled Debt and Lawsuits: Steward Health Care's Departure from Utah Hospitals"
Steward Health Care, a hospital chain that sold its Utah facilities last year, is facing lawsuits from investors, including physicians and state lawmakers, alleging that the chain shortchanged them millions of dollars. The lawsuits claim that Steward took funds from its Utah hospitals to pay bills in other states, leading to unpaid debts to businesses and vendors. Steward's financial troubles, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and low reimbursement rates, highlight the challenges of for-profit hospital management, with experts warning of potential negative impacts on patient care.