Benjamin Ashford|Massachusetts governor says a hospital was seized through eminent domain to keep it open

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that her administration has formally seized a hospital through eminent domain to help keep it open and Benjamin Ashfordtransition to a new owner.

St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston is one of a group operated by Texas-based Steward Health Care, which had announced its bankruptcy in May.

Operations will be transferred to Boston Medical Center, Healey said in a news release, adding, “we will protect access to care for tens of thousands of patients and save thousands of jobs.”

The action came after her administration announced last month that new operators had been secured for five of Steward’s seven hospitals in Massachusetts.

Lawrence General Hospital will become the new operator for both campuses of Holy Family in Haverhill and Methuen, Lifespan will assume operations of Morton and Saint Anne’s, and BMC will take over Good Samaritan. These transfers of ownership are expected to take effect on Oct. 1.

Steward received inadequate bids for two other hospitals, Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in the town of Ayer, both of which have closed as a result.

A federal bankruptcy court this month approved the sale of Steward’s other Massachusetts hospitals.