A new nationwide study has raised serious concerns about patient safety in hospitals acquired by private equity firms. Published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the research found that patient deaths in emergency departments increased by 13% after a hospital came under private-equity ownership.
For patients and families seeking emergency medical care, the findings highlight a growing issue that may intersect with medical negligence and hospital understaffing. These are two major factors that often lead to serious injury or wrongful death claims.
What the Study Found
Researchers analyzed over 1 million emergency room visits by Medicare patients at 49 private-equity-owned hospitals between 2009 and 2019. They then compared those outcomes to 6 million visits at similar hospitals not owned by private equity. The results were as follows:
- Emergency department death rates increased by 13% after private equity firms took control.
- Staffing dropped sharply: full-time employees decreased by 11.6%.
Salary spending fell 18% in emergency departments and 16% in intensive care units.
According to study co-author Dr. Zirui Song of Harvard Medical School, these cuts directly affect patient care, as he stated: “Hospital care is labor-intensive. When human labor is cut to this extent… patient harm can plausibly ensue, including mortality.”
Why Private Equity Ownership May Harm Patients
Private equity firms typically buy companies using large amounts of debt, then reduce expenses to generate profit for investors. In health care, those “cost-cutting measures” often mean:
- Fewer nurses and medical staff
- Larger patient loads per provider
- Delays in treatment
- Reduced oversight in emergency and ICU settings
- Increased billing and other financial pressures
Emergency physicians have long warned about this trend. Dr. Robert McNamara of Temple University explained: “When private equity comes in… they start slashing expenses. Less staff equals worse outcomes.”
This pattern isn’t limited to hospitals. A 2021 study found 11% higher mortality at private-equity-owned nursing homes, driven by understaffing and declines in care standards.
What This Means for Patients and Families
For patients harmed in hospitals (and especially emergency rooms) these findings matter. Understaffing and delayed care are common causes of:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to treat stroke or heart attack symptoms
- Delayed surgeries
- Medication errors
- Failure to monitor patients
- Wrongful death
While not every poor outcome is malpractice, systemic staffing cuts can create unsafe conditions, and hospitals can be held legally accountable when those conditions contribute to harm.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury or a family death after receiving care in an emergency department, hospital negligence may be a contributing factor.
A medical malpractice attorney can help investigate issues such as:
- Understaffing
- Delays in emergency treatment
- Improper monitoring
- Failure to meet standard emergency room protocols
These cases often require reviewing medical records, staffing logs, and expert analysis to determine whether systemic cuts contributed to a preventable injury. If you or a loved one has experienced a serious issue while in a hospital’s care, our personal injury attorneys are a compassionate and experienced resource for you to use.