Private Equity in Healthcare

About this episode:   Private equity is purchasing hospitals, long-term care facilities, laboratories, and clinics—often promising to introduce efficient, cutting-edge care. But what's actually happening in communities? In this episode: Two health policy researchers explain one way that private equity operates in the healthcare system and its consequences for patients. Guest:  Karen Davenport, MPA, is a senior research fellow at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Kennah Watts, MSPH, is a research fellow at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Show links and related content:  Hollowed Out - How Private Equity Destabilized Safety-Net Hospitals in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—Center on Health Insurance Reforms Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and rese