I have been warning about the dangers of private equity for years.

I think if it were beneficial for the hospitals or beneficial for the people of the Commonwealth, we would hear about all of those elements.

We have to protect it against the predators who are looking at this, our health care system as just another way of making themselves more wealthy.

The Health Over Wealth Act would protect every patient and provider that private equity touches.

Federal and state regulators should think once and think twice, and think three times, before they let another corporate investor suck more money out of the Steward system.

We need to hold these executives accountable. We need to rein in private equity's influence over the health care system.

Thank you. And, Dr. Stinson, could you expand on how these for profit hospitals interfere in-- operationally with the delivery of equity and justice, especially for Black and Brown and immigrant communities that are most in need of health…

The potential collapse of Steward Healthcare threatens access to health care for communities all across our Commonwealth.

Private equity should not be allowed to loot one business after another, and I have introduced the most comprehensive bill to overhaul the private equity industry.

How do they think they are going to make tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars in return on their investment?

Thank you especially to my colleague and partner, Senator Warren, for all of her work on these issues.

This hearing is a good start, and I am grateful to Senator Markey for getting the ball rolling.

If that courage were available--and I think you see it in this room in Senator Markey and Senator Warren--then we know at least where to begin to prevent other Steward-like disasters.

We need to keep the doors open. We need to protect workers. And we need to provide quality care for our communities.

Thank you, Senator Markey, for giving us a powerful tool for the job.

Failure to appear is cowardice.

We need to hold these executives accountable. We need to rein in private equity's influence over the health care system.

Greed thrives in the dark. And turning on the lights will help.