Accessibility links
Local Spotlight: The Role Of Private Equity In For-Profit Health Care : 1A U.S. health care has a reputation for costing a pretty penny – and making one, too.

So, when the country's largest for-profit health care system – Steward Health Care in Dallas, Texas – filed for bankruptcy in May, alarm bells sounded.

In September, CEO Ralph de la Torre was subpoenaed to testify about it in front of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

For the latest installment of our Local Spotlight series, we highlight the work of The Boston Globe's Spotlight team reporting on Steward Health Care.

We discuss how a for-profit health care system goes from the largest in its field to left with nothing how that affected the communities it served.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

1A

Local Spotlight: The Role Of Private Equity In For-Profit Health Care

Local Spotlight: The Role Of Private Equity In For-Profit Health Care

Listen · 33:23
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1211597125/1260977582" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Enlarge this image

Stethoscopes are pictured in an intensive care unit. JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP via Getty Images

Stethoscopes are pictured in an intensive care unit.

JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP via Getty Images

Health care in the United States has a reputation for costing a pretty penny – and making one, too.

So, when the country's largest for-profit health care system – Steward Health Care in Dallas, Texas – filed for bankruptcy in May, alarm bells sounded.

In September, CEO Ralph de la Torre was subpoenaed to testify about it in front of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

What led up to this moment? How does a for-profit health care system go from the largest in its field to left with nothing? And most importantly – how did that affect the communities it served?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.