Steward Health Care completes acquisition of five South Florida Hospitals Bringing Physician-Led Care to more communities in the region

Innovator in coordinated, compassionate care, Steward is ready to tackle COVID-19 surge and bring high-quality healthcare to the many diverse communities in South Florida  

Steward Health Care System, LLC (Steward) successfully completed the acquisition of five hospitals in South Florida from Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) including North Shore Medical Center, Coral Gables Hospital, Hialeah Hospital, and Palmetto General Hospital in Miami-Dade County, and Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Founded by CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, who grew up in Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants, Steward Health Care’s physician-led model was built to help patients unlock access to high-quality, compassionate, value-based care in more communities across the U.S. and internationally.

“Steward Health Care takes a physician’s approach to patient care. Everything we do is about improving our patients’ well-being, which requires not only tailoring care to each patient, but also learning from and engaging with every community we serve,” said Dr. de la Torre. “I am humbled by the opportunity to expand our footprint in my beloved home state. We know there are health challenges here and we are eager to work with local leaders to address them together.”

The five new Steward hospitals will be overseen by Dr. Sanjay Shetty, MD, Steward’s President of North America. Dr. Shetty has held numerous leadership roles at Steward Health Care, overseeing the growth and expansion of care around the United States. As the global pandemic grew, Dr. Shetty led and oversaw the establishment and implementation of innovative clinical protocols to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.

“Steward understands that combatting the resurgence of the COVID pandemic in South Florida is our most urgent and immediate priority,” said Dr. Shetty. “Already, we have begun to redeploy PPE, ventilators, and other vital supplies needed for the care of COVID patients from our other facilities throughout the country to hospitals in this market. As a physician-led hospital system, we are committed to providing all our patients with access to critical supplies and treatments, and we will work hard to build trust and ensure the best possible outcomes by listening to and learning from our partners in South Florida.”

In addition to Dr. de la Torre, several Steward senior leaders have deep personal and professional ties to the region. Dr. Octavio Diaz, Steward’s Chief Medical Officer, previously practiced at several of the newly acquired facilities, and Mr. Rubén J. King-Shaw, Jr., Steward’s Chief Strategy Officer, served as Chief Operating Officer for Neighborhood Health Partnership prior to serving as Florida’s Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration under former Governor Jeb Bush.

This transaction brings Steward’s total hospital count to 44 worldwide and more than doubles its presence in Florida, as the five new facilities join its current footprint comprised of Melbourne Regional Medical Center, Rockledge Regional Medical Center, and Sebastian River Medical Center. Steward’s extensive network of hospitals, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities, multi-specialty physician practices and behavioral health services annually cares for more than 12.3 million patients across the United States, Colombia and Malta through its more than 5,500 clinicians and 43,000 health care professionals.

About Steward Health Care 

Steward Health Care’s physician-led business model was built to unlock access to the highest-quality care at a sustainable cost, committed to providing personalized, ongoing medical services that positively impact patients’ physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

Founded in 2010, Steward Health Care is the largest physician-owned health care network with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 health care professionals caring for 12.3 million patients a year through its global network of hospitals, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health services.

Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 44 hospitals around the world, including 34 across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah, as well as five internationally within Malta and Colombia.

For more information, visit www.steward.org.