About 66% of people said private equity can play a role in improving rural healthcare, according to a LinkedIn poll conducted by Becker's.
In early January, 482 respondents answered the question, "Rural areas are facing more healthcare shortages. What role can private equity play in improving that situation?"
Forty-eight percent said private equity plays a large role in improving the situation and 18% said it plays a small role.
However, 31% of respondents private equity plays no role at all and 3% selected "other."
Becker's has no insights on respondents' organizations or roles.
One person said in the comments that private equity "destroys healthcare," and others said it should not be involved in healthcare at all.
Tanya Grilli, administrator of technology and security-infrastructure and disaster recovery at Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network, commented, "Obviously healthcare organizations are starving for an influx of funds to help expand the breadth and scope of their services. Rural areas … often have a population that lacks access to many social determinants of health. Expanding virtual care services into these regions is likely the best long term solution, no matter how much you pay clinicians to move to these areas, many will not stay. All this to say, sure private equity groups have money, but at what cost? They are focused on making money, not on improving the health and well being of people."