Do you know who owns your hospital?

We spent weeks investigating the role of private equity firms who have spent billions buying health-care operations.

Critics say it& #39;s not always good for patients, doctors or the quality of health care. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/private-equity-firms-now-control-many-hospitals-ers-nursing-homes-n1203161">https://www.nbcnews.com/health/he...

Private equity firms are buying up hospitals, nursing homes and ER operations.

Over the past decade, private equity firms have deployed more than $340 billion to buy health care-related operations around the world.

This has been a seismic shift.

During the 1900s, most hospitals were owned either by nonprofit entities w/ religious affiliations or by states and cities, w/ ties to medical schools.

For-profit hospitals existed, but it wasn& #39;t until recently that they became nearly ubiquitous.

To finance the purchases, private equity owners typically load the companies they buy with debt.

Then they slash the companies& #39; costs to increase earnings and appeal to potential buyers down the road. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/private-equity-firms-now-control-many-hospitals-ers-nursing-homes-n1203161">https://www.nbcnews.com/health/he...

"Private equity-backed health care has been a disaster for patients and for doctors," one residency program director tells us.

"Many decisions are made for what is going to maximize profits for the private equity company."