Hospital ER Deaths Climb After Private Equity Firms Take Over

Emergency room mortality increased 13% at hospitals acquired by private equity firms, resulting in seven additional deaths per 10,000 visits, according to new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed over one million Medicare patient visits at 49 private equity-owned hospitals from 2009 to 2019, comparing them with more than six million visits at 293 similar non-PE hospitals. Study co-author Dr. Zirui Song of Harvard Medical School attributed the increase to staffing cuts, noting full-time staff levels dropped 11.6% after acquisitions while emergency and intensive care unit staffing costs declined sharply. “When human labor is cut to this extent in staffing sensitive areas … patient harm can plausibly ensue, including mortality,” Song told NBC News. Private equity firms typically purchase companies using significant debt, then cut costs to boost profits. (Story URL)