While the problems at Steward Health Care absorbed the spotlight over the past nine months, many other hospitals across Massachusetts continued to struggle financially in what an industry group called a "deeply troubling" trend. New financial data released by a state agency found that more than half of acute care hospitals in Massachusetts experienced negative operating margins through a significant portion of the fiscal year ending June 30. Only 25 out of 58 hospitals reported positive operating margins during that span, and the statewide median operating margin fell to 1.1 points to -0.9%.
