Fearing hospital closures and service reductions, a coalition is planning standouts over the next week at Steward Health Care hospitals in Massachusetts and is calling on elected officials to help secure new hospital owners, saying “failure is not an option.”

A rally is planned for Thursday afternoon (April 26) outside of Carney Hospital. Organizers are also planning a “community forum” that same evening at 6:30 p.m. at St. Gregory’s auditorium, 2214 Dorchester Ave. in Lower Mills.

According to the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the “Our Community | Our Hospital” coalition is also promoting a petition calling for the transition of Steward hospitals to new nonprofit ownership and a commitment to ensure the continuation of care services for 200,000 people in Steward zones. Other rallies are planned outside Steward hospitals in Taunton, Brockton, Methuen, Haverhill, Fall River, and Brighton.

“The loss of any of these facilities will deliver a devastating blow to the entire health care infrastructure in the Commonwealth, particularly to some of the most vulnerable and marginalized patients and families,” the petition says. “Patients will be subjected to dangerous delays in care, be forced to travel longer distances for care, and for many, to go without care altogether.”

The coalition says it includes labor, community and faith-based groups, but a complete list of member groups was not immediately available. The MNA has been involved with outreach and the union 1199 SEIU is also listed as a contact on the coalition’s website.

State officials have sharply criticized Steward’s management and say they are working behind the scenes on contingency plans to safeguard health care. But the coalition, citing an April 30 Steward loan agreement deadline, says that “communities remain in the dark on long-term solutions to protect the future of care across the Commonwealth.”

Last week, nearly every member of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation — including Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ayanna Pressley— signed onto a letter sent on April 19 to the heads of Steward Health Care, UnitedHealth Group, and Optum Health casting serious skepticism that Optum’s purchase of the floundering Steward’s physician network will benefit the Bay State.

A slew of state and federal lawmakers has raised concerns with a potential sale of Stewardship Health to for-profit insurer Optum since it was announced about four weeks ago. But in Friday’s letter spearheaded by Rep. Lori Trahan, lawmakers said they are worried that UnitedHealth is seeking to acquire Steward’s physicians to offset lower operating margins at Optum, “potentially compromising the autonomy of physicians who may be pressured to prioritize efficiency over personalized care.”

“The absorption of doctor practices is part of a vast, accelerating consolidation of medical care, leaving patients in the hands of a shrinking number of giant companies or hospital groups,” the letter, signed by every member of the delegation except U.S. Rep. Richard Neal of Springfield, said. It later added, “There is also a worry that Optum may direct patients from the expanded physician network to its own urgent care or surgery centers, potentially disregarding what is best for patients.”

A Steward spokesperson did not have a response Friday afternoon and Optum’s spokespeople did not immediately respond to News Service outreach.

Reporter staff contributed to this report.