Texas suit asks: Is private equity abusing a malpractice shield?
A lawsuit against UT Health East Texas, a for-profit hospital system partially owned by the University of Texas, claims for-profit providers are shuffling their physicians’ employment status as a way to shield against malpractice cases.
When Michael Simington’s prostate cancer diagnosis was delayed, he learned his urologist fell into a legal loophole where doctor’s are afforded governmental malpractice protections that come with employment at state hospitals or medical schools, despite performing all of their work in for-profit, private equity-backed systems.
The scenario, as reported by the Texas Tribune, is one that could play out again and again as the pace of mergers and acquisitions in healthcare continues to accelerate.
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Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.