OPINION
back to MPT, but still funded private jets for the CEO’ s travel, subsidized his purchases of lavish homes in Spain and Costa Rica and paid millions in management fees to a firm the CEO owned.
The demise of the Hahnemann Hospital, a safety net hospital in Philadelphia was a similar scenario involving a private equity takeover, real estate deals involving buildings and land and investor and CEO profiteering. The hospital, which had cared for generations of Philadelphians, closed in June 2019 when its parent company filed for bankruptcy. 10 The CEO made a huge profit by turning some of the hospital buildings into luxury condos.
These are just a few examples of the negative effect of the profit driven health care industry in the U. S. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse as PE companies own nursing homes, physician practices, hospitals, hospital and health care systems, outpatient surgical centers and any health care facility that they can acquire. Sadly, the politicians will not address this issue. At least 20 years ago, a retired Louisville surgeon who held public office gave a talk to the Louisville Surgical Society in which he emphasized two important lessons. He believed that“ making laws was like making sausage” and he very clearly stressed that politicians need our help to understand health care.
This brings me to the reason that I decided to write this article. It is time for physicians to raise their voices in defense of a health care system that should provide high quality care to U. S. citizens.
It must allow physicians to practice in a system guided by science and good medical practice principles. Physicians for a National Health Program is an organization promoting a publicly financed, non-profit national health program. There is a local organization Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care, promoting Medicare for All. I would encourage looking at the website www. kyhealth care. org or contacting the coordinator Kay Tillow at nursenpo @ aol. com.
REFERENCES
1
Penguinrandonhouse. com / books / 318776 / an-american-sickness-by-elisabeth-rosenthal / 9781594206757
2
https:// www. kff. org / medicare / issue-brief / what-to-know-about-medicare-spending-and-financing /
3 quayhealth care. com / blog / top-health-insurance--usa companies
4
New York Sunday Review, November 17, 2019Times,
5 https:// www. pgpf. org / article / how-does-the-us-health care-system-compare-toother-countries
6
Louisville Medicine April 2024
7
JAMA December 26, 2023, Volume 330, Number 24
8
JAMA March 27, 2025 Volume 333 Number 12
9 https:// hsph. harvard. edu / news / private-equitys-appetite-for-hospitals-may-putpatients-at-risk /
10 www. newyorker. com / magazine / 2012 / 06 / 07 / the-death-of-hahnemann-hospital
Dr. Flynn is an Emeritus Professor in the University of Louisville Surgery Department.
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OPINION August 2025 35