Mission Hospital Faces Federal Sanctions Again
Mission Hospital in Asheville is once more at risk of losing critical federal funding following a recent determination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CEO Greg Lowe informed hospital staff through a letter that the facility has been placed in “immediate jeopardy,” a serious sanction indicating that patient safety is in danger.
This latest sanction marks the fourth time CMS has flagged the hospital since HCA Healthcare acquired the nonprofit Mission Health system in 2019. The hospital is now tasked with addressing these critical deficiencies to maintain its contract for Medicare and Medicaid payments. The finding emerged after state regulators from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services conducted an inspection from January 6 to 9.
The exact reasons behind the immediate jeopardy status have not been disclosed, as CMS did not respond to requests for comment. In his letter, Lowe mentioned the hospital’s plans to hire an independent consultant to enhance its compliance processes and improve patient care quality. He also acknowledged that many grievances are being directly reported to CMS, bypassing the hospital’s grievance procedures.
State Senator Julie Mayfield, a known critic of HCA’s management of Mission, praised the decision to bring in an independent consultant. “I am particularly pleased to hear about the independent consultant or monitor who will be providing oversight and guidance to ensure HCA gets it right,” Mayfield said. She emphasized that this oversight is something the community has long requested due to HCA’s challenges in implementing lasting improvements.
Mission Hospital has been under scrutiny since September after NCDHHS officials investigated incidents, including two patient deaths, and found numerous issues including staff errors and communication failures. These issues led to CMS placing the hospital in immediate jeopardy. Although CMS lifted the jeopardy status in November, it warned the hospital remained non-compliant with health and safety regulations, giving Mission until January 15 to rectify the issues.
In a previous sanction in 2024, NCDHHS inspections revealed harm to 18 patients, including four fatalities, related to the hospital’s emergency and oncology services. The hospital managed to lift this sanction by submitting a corrective plan. Similarly, in 2021, the hospital faced sanctions when regulators discovered improper care for a patient who had a history of drug use and was found dying in her room.
Senator Mayfield criticized HCA’s management approach, stating, “I will also note that pre-sale Mission did not struggle with the range and depth of problems that HCA has. I suggest that this is a direct result of HCA prioritizing process, speed, and profit over the most important priority: centering patient care.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
