U.S. Senator Chris Murphy has launched a new campaign inviting Connecticut residents to share personal experiences related to Prospect Medical Holdings’ management of three local hospitals: Waterbury Hospital, Rockville General Hospital, and Manchester Memorial Hospital. The “Share Your Story” campaign seeks to document how the company's ownership has affected access to care, staffing, and patient outcomes.

Murphy, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said the initiative will help inform an upcoming report on the negative effects of private equity in the healthcare system. 

“When private equity moves in, hospitals, nurses, doctors, and patients regularly suffer. That’s exactly what’s happening in Connecticut due to Prospect Medical’s greed. Their takeover of 3 hospitals in Connecticut has depleted these health care facilities of the resources they need, only to provide company executives and shareholders with massive amounts of profit, all while putting patient care at risk and shorting our local communities of the benefits they were promised. Whether you’re a nurse at Rockville General, or a lifelong patient at Waterbury Hospital or Manchester Memorial, I want to hear your story. It was a mistake to let private equity control so much of our health care system, but it’s not too late for us to change course,” said Murphy.

Murphy has been a vocal critic of private equity in health care. In March, he held a roundtable in Waterbury with local stakeholders. He has also raised concerns on the Senate floor and during a HELP Committee hearing, citing Prospect Medical Holdings as a case study of for-profit health care failures.  Participants can remain anonymous by submitting their stories at tinyurl.com/shareyourprospectstory.