Overhaul Urged as Private Equity Ties Grow in U.S. Nonprofit Hospitals

A watchdog group urges stronger government oversight of private equity–backed joint ventures with nonprofit U.S. healthcare providers, warning they can undermine charitable missions and patient care. The report catalogs hundreds of such arrangements and nearly 500 PE‑owned hospitals, highlights practices like sale‑leasebacks, and cites cases such as Steward Health and Wilson Medical Center to argue for safeguards, though academics remain divided on whether PE poses a unique healthcare risk.