WORKWEEK

As healthcare costs continue to rise, private equity firms are increasingly investing in healthcare companies, seeking to improve their profitability. While some argue that this influx of capital can bring much-needed innovation and efficiency to the industry, others are concerned about the potential negative impact on patient care and access to essential services.

Dr. Adam Brown and I explored the complex relationship between private equity and healthcare during our virtual event on private equity. We discussed the potential benefits and drawbacks of private equity investments, including their impact on patient care and access to essential services. Using case studies and real-world examples, we shed light on the broader healthcare ecosystem.

Read below for three key takeaways from our virtual event.

Three Key Takeaways

1) “Private equity has a big role in healthcare. Period. And part of the reason it is there is to help with investment, create capital, and efficiencies within the healthcare system. Is it all good? Not necessarily… is it all bad? Not necessarily.” (5:45)

2) “Ultimately, at the end of the day, benevolence isn’t traded on a stock market floor. It’s profitability. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s profit over patients per se, but the incentive is so strong for profitability, that the [focus] can shift. So, one point that’s important to remember is how important it is to have a physician engaged in no matter what deal that happens. A physician has to be there on the business side. “ (16:40)

3) So, where do I see [PE] going? There are only a couple of places you can get capital for innovation and investment, and one is the private sector (e.g., PE) and the public sector (e.g., government). And, there are a lot of ‘antibodies’ towards full government funding in the healthcare system. I don’t think that PE is necessarily going anywhere, but there may be some regulatory guardrails that need to come up: one them being from HHS looking at outcomes, making sure quality is maintained. But also, shifting the payment system fully from a fee-for-service system to more aggressively moving into a value-based care system, which incentivizes outcomes.” (21:20)

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DIVE DEEPER

• Private Equity in Healthcare: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (link)
• Healthcare M&A and Private Equity State of Play (link)
• The Business of Death (link)
• The Golden Age of Older Rectums (link)

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Upcoming HuddleChats

HuddleChats are 30-minute monthly conversations with industry experts on the latest trending topics at the intersection of healthcare business and patient care. Perfect for physicians, providers, and medical students who want to stay up-to-date in the industry but have limited time to do so.

May 17th at 12 PM ET

The Rise of Retail Health

Discover how retail giants like Amazon, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart are disrupting the traditional healthcare model by pushing their way into the healthcare delivery space. Join healthcare expert Blake Madden and me as we explore why retailers are making this move, the strides they have made so far, and what the future holds for this rapidly evolving landscape.

June, day and time TBD

From Workflow to Diagnosis: How GPT is Changing the Landscape of Healthcare

Join me [guest TBD] for a virtual event on the healthcare implications of GPT, where we will explore the current progress and potential applications of natural language processing platforms in healthcare. Our event will cover three core areas: patient care and delivery, research, diagnostics, and treatment, and clinical and non-clinical workflows.

Details to come…

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HuddleChats Spotify

• 🎵 Private Equity Playlist: Check out my private equity playlist that I played before the event started to set the mood.

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