Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren blasted embattled Steward Health Care, saying its executives "put profits over patients" and went to great lengths to hide critical information about its financial status from state officials, Boston media report.

NBCboston.com reports that the Massachusetts Democrat added that she is "deeply concerned" by Steward's grave financial situation and "appalled by allegations of patient neglect at Steward facilities."

"My primary concern is the thousands of patients who face threats to care and the front-line health care workers whose jobs are at risk," Warren said in her statement issued Monday. "I will continue to investigate the decisions that led to this potential public health crisis."

Last week, Warren led the Massachusetts Congressional delegation in a letter to Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre to remind him of significant impacts on patients if any of Steward's hospitals were to close in Massachusetts.

Steward issued a statement in response to the letter, saying "Steward Health Care serves a patient population that are among the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable, and we are committed to continuing to care for them. We are committed to working productively with public officials to ensure that we can provide uninterrupted and high-quality care for the communities we serve.”

Steward Health Care Malta administered the running of three hospitals in Malta until last year after taking over a concession agreement that the Labour government had reached with Vitals in 2015. The deal was however annulled by a court of law in Malta last February, and confirmed on appeal in October.

The Maltese government opened proceedings against Steward before the International Chamber of Commerce last April and the timeline indicates the case is expected to be determined by the end of 2025.

This emerged from a reply given by the State Attorney following court action taken by the Nationalist Party in a bid to get the government to recover millions of euros paid to Steward Health Care.