Steward Health Care Finalizes Public-Private Partnership Agreement To Provide Health Care In Malta

Steward becomes Malta's public health care partner and medical facility operator; Steward will also work with renowned Barts Medical School to open a satellite medical school in Gozo, Malta.

Steward Health Care System LLC (Steward.org) today finalized a public-private partnership to deliver exceptional health care to the people of Malta. Steward, which is physician-led and the largest private hospital operator in the United States, is now the government of Malta's health care partner and will run a number of public medical facilities in the country.

"Steward's innovative care model has successfully helped patients across the United States receive high-quality care while reducing medical expenses," said Dr. Ralph de la Torre, Chairman and CEO of Steward Health Care. "We look forward to implementing this new model of exceptional care in Malta. We will invest in the medical facilities entrusted to us, upgrading them into state-of the-art hospitals, and will help ensure that the Maltese people live healthy, active lives."

Steward has transformed health care in America by turning around struggling hospitals and embedding them in a new, comprehensive delivery model that is designed to support local communities and produce better health outcomes for patients. Today, Steward is the largest private hospital operator in the United States with 36 community hospitals across ten states. The company employs approximately 40,000 health care professionals. Steward hospitals regularly receive top awards for quality and safety, including the "Gold Ribbon Seal in Healthcare" from the Joint Commission on Accreditation and an "A" rating for Hospital Safety from the Leapfrog Group.

"Steward Health Care shares our same vision for the future of healthcare in Malta," said Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat. "Our resolve to upgrade Malta and Gozo's healthcare services to world-class levels has been given a further boost through this partnership. With its impressive track-record, Steward is the ideal partner to realise such a critical infrastructural upgrade of our hospitals while offering the best medical services to patients."

Through the public-private partnership that resulted from Steward's purchase of Vitals Global Healthcare's concessions to run facilities entrusted to it, Steward will also construct and run campus facilities for Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and offer Steward hospitals as teaching facilities for medical students. Steward intends to invest in these facilities so that they stay and thrive in Malta.

"Steward has achieved extraordinary results in the United States, by pioneering a new model for care that rewards doctors and nurses for keeping patients healthy and close to home," said Dr. Armin Ernst, President of Steward Health Care International LLC. "We look forward to bringing this model, and Steward's innovative technology, to the people of Malta so they receive world-class care that remains free."

Steward has built some of the most innovative health care technologies in the United States, which have been at the heart of the company's success in improving care for patients. These technology-enabled platforms help to predict diseases and illnesses before they spread, reduce excess time a patient spends in the hospital, and leverage analytics to help administrators plan appropriate staffing levels. Steward also utilizes state-of-the-art electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic intensive care units (eICU) across its system. The company intends to deploy these technologies in Malta.

About Steward Health Care

Steward Health Care, the largest private hospital operator in the United States, is a physician-led health care services organization committed to providing the highest quality of care in the communities where patients live. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Steward operates 36 community hospitals nationwide that regularly receive top awards for quality and safety. The company employs approximately 40,000 health care professionals. The Steward network includes more than 25 urgent care centers, 42 preferred skilled nursing facilities, substantial behavioral health services, over 7,300 beds under management, and approximately 1.5 million full risk covered lives through the company's managed care and health insurance services. The total number of paneled lives within Steward's integrated care network is projected to reach 3 million in 2018.

Steward's unique health care service delivery model leverages technology, innovation, and care coordination to keep patients healthier. With a culture that prioritizes agility, resourcefulness, and continuous improvement, Steward is recognized as one of the nation's leading accountable care organizations. The Steward Health Care Network includes thousands of physicians who help to provide more than 12 million patient encounters per year. Steward Medical Group, the company's employed physician group, provides more than 4 million patient encounters per year. The Steward Hospital Group operates hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.