Western North Carolina
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Independent Monitor Meetings Scheduled, Community Urged to Attend by Reclaim Healthcare WNC

Public meetings held during May that will allow for community members to directly engage with HCA about operations at Mission Hospital, as well as make your opinion known to representatives from N.C. DHHS, the N.C. Attorney General’s office and Dogwood Health Trust. 

The community meetings will be held on May 12 in Marion and May 13 in Asheville. Full details can be found on the Dogwood Health Trust website.

Reclaim Healthcare WNC is encouraging community members to attend these vital meetings and submit comments. Comments and stories can be submitted to the IM in advance by registering for the meeting on Dogwood’s website.

“Dogwood’s job is to monitor HCA’s compliance with the Asset Purchase Agreement, and Dogwood’s new Independent Monitor found HCA to be out of compliance with its commitments last year. We are encouraged by the IM’s approach and look forward to their new report this summer. We know that quality of care at Mission continues to be a hot button issue in our community, and it’s critical that community members attend and share their concerns directly to the IM, the Attorney General’s staff, DHHS, and HCA,” says Reclaim Board Chair, Julie Mayfield.

According to the meeting announcement, “Dogwood and the IM will be joined by representatives from the HCA Mission Health System, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Attorney General’s office at each meeting. Each organization’s representative will be available at a breakout table after the IM’s presentation to connect with directly. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions or comments to be shared with the IM or other organizations represented for follow-up.”

Meeting details:

Monday, May 12: 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Marion Train Depot
45 Depot St.
Marion, NC 28752

(This meeting will be in-person only. Register to attend in-person.) 

Tuesday, May 13: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
AB Tech Community College
Ferguson Auditorium
340 Victoria Rd.
Asheville, NC 28801

(This meeting will be both in-person and livestreamed. Register to attend in-person or Register to attend the livestream.) 

“Community Shareholders Meeting”
on HCA held in WNC on April 24th

HCA held its annual shareholders meeting online at 3 p.m. EST on April 24th. This meeting was closed to the public. That same day in Asheville, Reclaim Healthcare WNC held a “community shareholders meeting” that all were welcome to attend. Every community member across WNC is a shareholder of HCA – Mission Health is our safety net hospital, as the only trauma center located in WNC.

This “community shareholder meeting” took place at Ferguson Auditorium on the campus of AB Tech from 6 to 8 p.m. A panel discussion featured Dr. Clay Ballantine, Rev. Missy Harris, Fire Chief Tom Kelly and Dr. Mike Messino, where they spoke about the current conditions at Mission from an insiders’ perspective. Community members spoke about recent experiences they have had at Mission. Additionally, Wake Forest University Professor Mark Hall discussed his report on the sale of Mission to HCA and the objective measures of ensuing decline in care at the hospital.