Hospital chain aims to exit real estate business

Steward Health Care System, the for-profit medical organization that has purchased 10 Massachusetts hospitals in just over a year, plans to sell a number of its medical office buildings, lease the real estate back, and use the proceeds for its hospital operations. Steward, which is owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, intends to use proceeds from the real estate sale in its hospital operations, spokesman Chris Murphy said.