Well of course they’re run to make a profit. But doctor-owned hospitals are usually much cleaner (at least in Texas) and the docs on the Board get to set hospital policy. Docs setting policy is good for patients.
Texas has the largest number at 61. The nurse to patient ratio is significantly higher on the average at these institutions. They also tend to get higher quality of care ratings from independent rating agencies.
Democrats are generally against these institutions, which is why they effectively banned them in the Obamacare bill.
The main argument is the claim that doctor-owned hospitals slough off uninsured patients, who invariably end up in the emergency rooms of nonprofit hospitals. Those hospitals, facing an exodus of insured patients, may find it hard to stay afloat since they can't balance the cost of treating the uninsured with profits from performing procedures on the insured.
“But doctor-owned hospitals are usually much cleaner (at least in Texas) and the docs on the Board get to set hospital policy. Docs setting policy is good for patients.”
It depends on the hospital, most have docs on the board. I personally like the Mayo model.