A researcher for a national union that represents workers in health care among other industries including hotels, gaming and food service says Yuma-area residents need to be aware of a proposed partnership between Yuma Regional Medical Center and a national health care company.
Yuma residents will have a chance this week to weigh in on a proposed partnership between LifePoint Health, a holding of the private equity Apollo Management Group and Yuma Regional Medical Center.
The venture would change the way healthcare is delivered in Yuma County, shifting YRMC from a non-profit to a for-profit business model.
UNITE HERE, a labor organization in the U.S. and Canada, says private equity groups are increasingly playing a larger role in healthcare. KAWC’s Victor Calderón spoke with UNITE HERE researcher Michael Hachey about why deals like the one between YRMC and LifePoint Health are bad for communities.
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UNITE HERE operates a website www.apollolifepointwatch.org that details what they say is a poor track record by LifePoint/Apollo with regards to cuts in medical staffing and services at other hospitals it operates in states including Nevada and Washington.
Stay tuned to KAWC Wednesday to hear from LifePoint CEO David Dill on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
