As concerns about patient safety at Mission Hospital continue to grow, community members will soon have an opportunity to share their views on HCA Healthcare’s management of the facility. Two listening sessions, organized by Dogwood Health Trust and Affiliated Monitors, Inc., are scheduled for next month.
This initiative follows a critical alert from federal authorities that placed Mission Hospital in “immediate jeopardy”—a designation indicating severe compliance issues. This status has been assigned to the hospital for the third time in two years, highlighting ongoing concerns about patient safety that could risk the loss of federal funding if not addressed.
Susan Mims, CEO of Dogwood Health Trust, emphasized the importance of community involvement in assessing HCA’s adherence to the commitments made during its acquisition of the formerly nonprofit Mission Health System in 2019. “We are grateful for the community’s engagement throughout the year and to those who plan to attend the meetings in March,” Mims stated.
The Dogwood Health Trust, established with the $1.5 billion sale of Mission Health System to HCA, employs an independent monitor to create annual reports on HCA’s compliance. The latest report points to persisting challenges in emergency and oncology care at Mission Hospital.
State Senator Julie Mayfield expressed approval of the planned listening sessions but suggested that the situation’s severity warrants direct involvement from HCA CEO Sam Hazen. “We’re not just inviting him here to be yelled at, right?” Mayfield remarked. “We firmly believe we need his leadership and support for a collaborative effort that will improve things at the hospital.”
Mayfield is a leader in Reclaim Healthcare WNC, a coalition advocating for HCA to sell the hospital back to a nonprofit entity. The group highlights issues such as staffing shortages and discharge process deficiencies, stressing that patient lives are at risk.
Details for the upcoming listening sessions are as follows:
Monday, March 9 (5:30 to 7 p.m.)
Transylvania County Library
Rogow Family Community Room
212 Gaston St., Brevard, NC 28712
To attend, members of the public can register here.
Tuesday, March 10 (5:30 to 7 p.m.)
Western Carolina University at Biltmore Park (livestreamed)
Room 346, 28 Schenck Pkwy., Asheville, NC 28803
Registration is available here for in-person attendance and here for the online livestream.
Additionally, the independent monitor is organizing small-group and individual meetings to gather more personalized feedback from the community. Interested individuals can reach out via email at Mission@AffiliatedMonitors.com.
