Troubled for-profit chains are stealthily operating dozens of psychiatric hospitals under nonprofits’ names Tara Bannow By Tara Bannow July 8, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/07/08/psychiatric-hospital-investor-owned-chains-operate-under-nonprofit-brands/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8sKIZXAcG7zz3qYs4h7JXtA6vTWNHRZabZ8LxC0FdZX4YV5ByuByiknsV5Wta3Hlk3BDh20OH41vzEtQ7NV8f30Ohvbw&_hsmi=314717062&utm_content=314717062&utm_source=hs_email With the mental health crisis overwhelming emergency rooms in the U.S., nonprofit hospital systems are turning to troubled for-profit psychiatric hospital operators for help, despite their records of short staffing, insufficient training and violent incidents among patients and personnel. The partnerships are mutually beneficial, reports STAT’s Tara Bannow: For-profit chains that have been hit by lawsuits and seen their reputation tarnished get to operate under the name of locally respected nonprofits, while the nonprofits get the increased capacity they desperately need, and a cut of the profits. But the ventures have the same problem of other investor-owned hospitals in that they prioritize revenue over care, typically by keeping staff spending to a minimum while maximizing patient admissions. “The culture, the management, how people are treated — it will make you sick,” said a former staffer. The investigation is based on interviews with more than 50 former staffers, patients, and experts, as well as a review of court records, and highlights some of the more troublesome outcomes of the partnerships, which include cases of violence, rape, even a death. Read more.