Death rates rose in hospital ERs after private equity firms took over, study finds

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Sept. 24, 2025, 5:00 AM EDT


After hospitals were acquired by private equity firms, patient death rates in the emergency departments rose by 13% compared with similar hospitals, according to research published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine. The research, which compared outcomes at hospitals over a 10-year period, adds fresh evidence to previous studies showing harmful patient outcomes and higher costs among health care entities owned by profit-oriented financiers.

The increased deaths in emergency departments at private equity-owned hospitals are most likely the result of reduced staffing levels after the acquisitions, which the study also measured, said Dr. Zirui Song, a co-author and associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School.

After hospitals were acquired by private equity, the number of full-time employees fell by an average 11.6% compared with non-private equity facilities, the research found, and salary expenditures in the emergency departments and intensive care units declined by 18% and 16%, respectively.

“Most hospital care in the country remains a face-to-face, human, labor-intensive endeavor, especially in emergency departments and ICUs,” Song said in an interview. “When human labor is cut to this extent in staffing sensitive areas of the hospital, patient harm can plausibly ensue, including mortality.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/death-rates-rose-hospital-ers-private-equity-firms-took-study-finds-rcna233211

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Link to Annals of Internal Medicine published REPORT - Hospital Staffing and Patient Outcomes After Private Equity Acquisition

[ck4829]

1. Disgusting and murderous.

[BaronChocula]

2. Saving lives cuts into profits

The sad part is that we live among enough people who think that's okay in the name of capitalism. It's like livin' in a cuckoo clock.

[sakabatou]

3. Private equity firms kill things while reaping the profits

[Scalded Nun]

4. Gosh...what a coincidence. Who would have thought that might be related.

[Initech]

5. Another problem that can be attributed to... wait for it... republicans!

[IronLionZion]

6. Plenty of profit to be made in letting people die. They're super efficient like that

profit over patients. It's great for their investors.

[FakeNoose]

9. I think it's a problem of understaffing ...

I don't know the details on this but my guess is that the private equity managers are cutting back labor costs wherever they can. They give more hours to nurses, interns and orderlies who are paid substantially less than the experienced doctors.

[IronLionZion]

10. That's in the linked article in the OP

The increased deaths in emergency departments at private equity-owned hospitals are most likely the result of reduced staffing levels after the acquisitions, which the study also measured, said Dr. Zirui Song, a co-author and associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School.

After hospitals were acquired by private equity, the number of full-time employees fell by an average 11.6% compared with non-private equity facilities, the research found, and salary expenditures in the emergency departments and intensive care units declined by 18% and 16%, respectively.

[Stargazer99]

12. A name list of investors might be interesting

[ultralite001]

7. The dead don't sue...

Particularly dead folk w/ no living relatives...Run up the charges... No one disputes
whether or not there was medical necessity or whether or not procedures were done
or meds were actually dispensed or care was given... The patient passes... How sad...

On to the next... American "health care" has become another racket...

[Solly Mack]

8. ...

When the bottom line is profits over people, people always lose.

Can't pretend that isn't intentional.

[Buddyzbuddy]

11. So it seems hospitals owned by private equities

are more hazardous to my health than taking a f.cking Tylenol.
Once again, this Administration is on the wrong side.

[electric_blue68]

13. Surprise! 😑😬

[hunter]

14. It's horrible for the remaining E.R. staff...

... who are seeing people die simply because there are not enough hands on deck.

These people may have experienced that in war, natural disasters, pandemics, etc,, but as an everyday occurrence that kind of stress will burn anyone out.