Steward Health Care, the largest physician-led hospital operator in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy early Monday morning.

Steward hospitals remain open, and patients shouldn’t hesitate to seek care at locations like Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

“[Massachusetts Association of Health Plans] member plans will continue to provide coverage at Steward facilities,” said President and CEO Lora Pellegrini. “If any health plan member has immediate concerns regarding coverage or access, they should contact their health plan’s member services department for further assistance.”

This bankruptcy filing does not really come as a shock. In fact, over the past few days the Healey administration activated an “emergency operations plan” in response to Steward Health Care’s serious financial problems that came to light months ago.

That plan includes a command center to monitor all Steward locations in the state and manage the potential fallout of a bankruptcy filing.

Now that Steward has filed for Chapter 11, the health care company said on its website that restructuring is in the best interests of its patients, physicians, employees and communities at this time.

Steward Health Care, which teeters on a financial crisis that could put multiple Massachusetts hospitals in jeopardy, is a “house of cards and a charade,” Gov. Maura Healey said a week ago, continuing to lash out at the for-profit health care system that is one of the state’s largest employers.

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Steward has 32 hospitals in eight states, including eight in Massachusetts. It blamed its financial problems on the “highly challenging health care environment,” including insufficient government reimbursement, skyrocketing labor costs, inflation and impacts from the pandemic.

Steward reportedly owes hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid rent and has been sued by at least two dozen venders who claim they weren’t paid for services or supplies.

In a statement, Steward’s CEO said under the bankruptcy process, “Steward will be better positioned to responsibly transition ownership of its Massachusetts-based hospitals, keep all of its hospitals open to treat patients, and ensure the continued care and service of our patients and our communities.”

“The Healey-Driscoll administration is working with Steward and any potential partners to support an orderly transfer of ownership that protects access to care, preserves jobs and stabilizes our health care system,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh.

Gov. Maura Healey will hold a press conference at 9:45 a.m. Monday to address the impact of Steward filing for bankruptcy and what this means for people and the health care landscape in the state.

It’s still unclear who will take over Steward’s hospitals in Massachusetts.

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