Study links private equity takeovers to higher ER death rates
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A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that death rates in hospital emergency departments increased after those hospitals were acquired by private equity firms. Researchers say the most likely explanation is reduced staffing levels, which can place pressure on emergency care teams and limit timely interventions. While the findings don’t suggest that private equity ownership directly causes harm, they highlight growing concerns about how financial restructuring and cost-cutting measures may affect patient care in high-stakes medical settings.
Source
Sneha Kannan, Joseph Dov Bruch, José R. Zubizarreta, et al. Hospital Staffing and Patient Outcomes After Private Equity Acquisition. Ann Intern Med.2025;178:1529-1538. [Epub 23 September 2025]. doi:10.7326/ANNALS-24-03471
Additional Reading
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/14/private-equity-hospitals-medicare-patient-deaths