Private Equity Owns 30% of For-Profit Hospitals, Tracker Says

Private equity is expanding its reach into troubled hospitals, and more than a third of those it owns serve struggling, rural populations.

That’s according to a report released Wednesday amid questions as to whether private equity’s growing involvement benefits or harms a sector still grappling with higher costs and staff shortages. At least 386 US hospitals are now private equity-owned, according to a new tracker from advocacy group Private Equity Stakeholder Project, with stewardship concentrated among a few firms including Apollo Global Management Inc. and its systems LifePoint Health and ScionHealth.

Private equity has drawn plenty of attention in a ...