Sale of Steward Health Care properties complete as transitions begin Boston 25 News [Video]

BRIGHTON, Mass. — A landscaping crew swarmed over the grounds of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton on Tuesday.

Out front, workers taped over certain portions of its signs, marking a new day for the 110-year-old healthcare facility and its return to not-for-profit status.

At the same time, hospitals in Methuen, Haverhill, Fall River, Brockton and Taunton also became not-for-profit, after nearly 15 years of ownership by the for-profit Steward Health Care.

The company declared bankruptcy last spring, with a plan to sell all its functioning hospitals in Massachusetts by Tuesday.

“Today’s a great day for Massachusetts and a new day for healthcare in Massachusetts,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “A year ago, we faced the spectre of seven hospitals closing and today we can say that we successfully transferred ownership of those hospitals to responsible, good, non-profit systems.”

Those systems include Lawrence General (taking over both the Haverhill and Methuen …