A Boston-based health care company
that operates three dozen hospitals in 10 states could be setting the stage for
a relocation to Dallas.
Steward Health Care System, which
describes itself as the country’s largest private hospital operator, has leased
18,000 square feet of office space in a downtown office building,
according to city of Dallas building permits.
The 25-story building at 1900
Pearl St. is Dallas’ newest downtown office tower, with
260,000 square feet of office space built by Lincoln Property Co. The
building’s first tenant, Baker McKenzie, opened its office today.
Rumors have swirled in recent months
that Steward was looking to move out of Massachusetts, and The
Boston Globe reported in November that Dallas was the likely spot for
the new headquarters.
Officials with Steward could not be
reached for comment Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Steward Health received
approval of a building permit for $3.25 million worth of construction on
the 23rd floor of the office tower, records show.
In The Boston Globe report,
the company’s chief executive, Dr. Ralph de la Torre, was said to be planning
to move some top management jobs.
It also noted that most health care
companies in Massachusetts are run as nonprofits, and Steward has bristled at
state laws that require it to disclose financial information.
The company has racked up $300,000
in fines and is suing the state, saying it has no right to information Steward
considers proprietary, according to the newspaper.
The company has rapidly expanded its
national footprint, moving into Texas last year.
In September, it completed a $2
billion merger agreement in which it took over
six hospitals in Texas, as well as several in other states. Earlier in 2017,
it acquired eight hospitals from
Tennessee-based Community Health Systems.
Steward Health now operates 36
community hospitals and has about 37,000 employees on staff, the website
says.
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