Steward Health Care reaches deal to sell its nationwide physicians network

Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Steward Health Care said it has reached an agreement to sell its nationwide physicians network to a private equity firm. The deal comes as Steward is scheduled to go before a bankruptcy court judge Friday on its plan to sell six hospitals in Massachusetts. The Dallas-based company announced its bankruptcy May 6. In a statement Monday, Steward said it has entered into a “definitive agreement” to sell its Stewardship Health business —  which includes about 5,000 physicians in Massachusetts and nine other states treating about 400,000 patients — to Rural Healthcare Group, an affiliate of Kinderhook Industries LLC, a private equity firm.