About 75 people attended a union-organized community forum about the ongoing crisis involving Steward Health Care and Carney Hospital on Thursday evening at St. Gregory’s parish auditorium in Lower Mills. Nurses and other health care professionals, along with some patients and neighbors spoke out about their concerns as the health care system faces the possibility of bankruptcy, a forced sale, or outright failure amid a fiscal meltdown that has prompted Gov. Maura Healey and other state leaders to demand Steward’s withdrawal from the Massachusetts market.

The union-backed coalition that organized the Dorchester event— Our Community-Our Hospital— includes representatives from the Massachusetts Nurses Association and 1199 SEIU.

They held seven rallies and forums at or near Steward hospitals this week.

“One thing many of us have in common is that we are hard-working people but sometimes it seems like hard work is not enough,” said Angel Howell, the associate director of New England United 4 Justice, who led the forum.

He added: “But when we fight…” to which the crowd loudly responded, “We win!”

Many in the audience wore bright purple shirts with the 1199 SEIU logo, some of whom chanted “Keep Carney in community.”

Howell told them to chant loudly enough so it could be heard by Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre “on his yacht.”

“What is more important than our hospital and our health?” asked Howell. “The loss of another hospital would cause us to go far and lose time. Not only Dorchester [but] other communities will be affected.”

Dr. Erica Lee, a resident at Cambridge Health Alliance's Cambridge Hospital, spoke about how closing hospitals like Carney would impacts her ability to care for patients.

“Short-staffing and shrinking bed crisis drastically limit the care my team can provide,” said Lee. “As a frontline healthcare worker, I am here today to stand with you all - patients, healthcare workers, and community across the commonwealth to demand these beds stay open.”

Lee went on to explain that she recently cared for a 14-year-old patient who sat in an emergency room for days after attempting to commit suicide. The lack of care this child received was a direct result of the lack of hospital beds available across the city.

Lee argued that Massachusetts can't afford to see the number of beds decrease any further.

“Private equity and corporate greed have no place in our healthcare system. Healthcare is a public good it’s a human right,” Lee said. “When these for-profit institutions reach a crisis for their own mismanagement, they hold their entire healthcare system hostage.”

Lee called on the Healey-Driscoll administration to “do what's right” and keep the hospital open. Many Carney employees, including Maryanne Murphy who works in the radiology department, also want to see state legislators act.

“We shouldn’t let this hospital close. I hope our legislators can do something to help us,” said Murphy. “Help us get your legislators involved so we can help you, so you don’t have to go far to get the care you need.”

Murphy grew up right across the street from Carney and has spent almost four decades working at the hospital.

“I come here to work every single day because I want to, I want to make sure the patients are cared for. My co-workers are the best. From nurses to lab techs, to registration, each one of us is here for the community. What a loss would it be. Where would you go for your healthcare?” she asked.

Another employee who hopes to see Carney stay open is Elaine Graves, a recovery room nurse who started in pediatrics over 48 years ago.

“I’ve been at Carney for a long time, and I’ve taken care of a lot of patients and a lot of families. Where is everyone going to go? It affects everybody in so many ways,” said Graves. “People need to be taken care of and they need to be taken care of properly.”

The potential loss of thousands of union jobs in the Steward system has the attention of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, whose secretary-treasurer, Kevin Brousseau, attended the forum.

“We are forced here today because of the greed of a few, because of the mismanagement at the top, while all of you did your job,” he said.
Howell added: “There’s a lot of people who have worked in this facility for a long time, who have built their whole livelihood around this and could now possibly lose it all."

The union workers pointed to an online petition that calls for new ownership of the Steward hospitals.

“This is the organism that we can’t afford to lose,” said Howell. “Carney is a keystone, and we want to keep Carney in the community.”