Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced that the HELP Committee will vote next Thursday, July 25, to consider a subpoena to compel Steward Health CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre to testify on the company’s financial mismanagement of its hospitals. This mismanagement has threatened the delivery of health care services to patients, including those in Louisiana at Steward-owned Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe. Steward filed for bankruptcy in May.

“Steward’s poor financial decisions and gross mismanagement of Glenwood is unacceptable,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Patients shouldn’t be turned away or denied care because of Steward’s irresponsible business practices. My goal is to ensure residents in the community served by Glenwood continue to receive the care they need, and to get to the bottom of these problems to make sure they do not happen again.”

“Instead of working with the Committee to address this emergency, Dr. De la Torre refused to testify and cooperate with our investigation,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “Given the seriousness of the situation, a subpoena is necessary to get answers for Louisiana families.”

Under Steward’s ownership, Glenwood has lacked essential supplies for patient care, failed to repair broken equipment, closed units, reduced outpatient services, laid off staff, and transferred or turned away patients due to a lack of resources. According to a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a physician at Glenwood told an inspector that the hospital was performing “third-world medicine.” In addition to harming patients, these conditions burden other area health care facilities and Glenwood staff.

Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM ET/9:00 AM CT

Location: 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Click here to watch live.

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